To Rule The World
by nariai
Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]
1. Chapter 1

**Important!: Only the first chapter will be written like this (in drabbles). It's a prologue and I decided to write it like this because I did not want to spend the next few months describing my protagonist's early childhood. However, I did not want to completely leave it out as well, so I decided to write this prologue. The next chapter will be a 'normal' one (2k-3k long) that will deal with Reika's and Kaname's first meeting.**

 **As I know that most won't bother to read this I will post the upper part at the end of the chapter as well. Maybe a few more people will decide to read it there.**

 **If you have any questions, you are welcome to inform me of them in a review or a PM.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Have fun.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 1_

 _Prologue_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where Dreams Were Fated To Fail_

* * *

 _"Alone. Yes, that's the key word, the most awful word in the English tongue. Murder doesn't hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym."_

 _― Stephen King_

 _"I do not love men: I love what devours them."_

 _― André Gide, Prometheus Illbound_

* * *

I.

* * *

She had been just a child. Her chubby cheeks barely starting to change into the sharp features both her mother and sister possessed, her figure a little more than a stick. Long limbs and well manicured fingers always dangled at her sides.

 _Red. They had been painted red._

A late bloomer. That's what most had called her.

The girl did not like thinking of herself as such. Personally, she preferred to not think about the whole subject at all. In her opinion, ignoring how young she had actually been made her situation a little less tragic.

Dying a week before her fifteenth birthday, what felt like ages before reaching full maturity.

But what did that matter? Death never did care about the identity of its victims. It was the one thing that made all living beings equal. Young or old. Healthy or ill. Man or animal.

 _To die, that was what they all lived for._

* * *

II.

* * *

A cold winter night. One shortcut through a dark alley. Silver gleaming in the moonlight.

All it took was a second.

He, it was undoubtedly a he, came at her from the front and grabbed one of her arms in a bruising grip. A knife, sharper than anything she had ever come across, reflected the silvery moon.

Too frightened to even hear what he was saying, she started struggling.

His grip on her arm loosened. She fell forward. The knife slid between her ribs.

Blood flooded her right lung.

Alone, in that dark, dark alley she drowned in her own blood.

* * *

III.

* * *

Heaven or hell. She did not know.

A second chance was perhaps the better term.

She liked that... _a second chance._

* * *

IV.

* * *

She had died. Of that she was aware.

It did not take her long to figure out what had happened. Rebirth, apparently that was a thing.

The Buddhists seemed to be the only ones who knew what they were talking about. Did that mean that all those wars fought for religion were ultimately for nothing? Just countless lives lost for something that did not exist?

 _How morbid._

The most important question, however, was if this was how the world worked. Was it just an endless cycle of life and death?

Maybe she would manage to reach the age of fifteen this time around.

And if not, there was always a next life waiting for her.

* * *

V.

* * *

Reika. Kuran Reika.

* * *

VI.

* * *

 _Reika. Kuran Reika._

That was her new name.

From what she gathered she had been born in spring to an albino woman who had not wanted her to begin with. Silvery white hair and porcelain skin had been the first things that greeted her once she entered this new life.

Her rose-colored orbs would be forever embedded into her mind.

They had watched her being taken by a foreign man without blinking once and even though Reika knew that her new mother held no love for her, it still _hurt._

* * *

VII.

* * *

She remembered the time she met her new father for the first time so vividly that even the memories of her old life and death seemed to be blurry images in comparison to that.

Her eyes had by then cleared from their infantile blindness and she could see everything with an almost frightening clarity.

Icy blue and an inhuman garnet met her gaze once she awoke from a long nap.

 _Heterochromia iridium_. Never had she seen something so _beautiful._

She would soon learn that there was nothing truly beautiful about that man. Not his differently colored eyes, nor the madness that accompanied each of his steps.

But in that moment she had known none of it.

It had been so long since someone had last come into that dark room and touched her so gently. The woman was with her most of the time, of course. No one would just leave an infant completely alone. But, it just wasn't enough.

The woman was so _cold._

Besides, she knew the man meant safety the moment she heard him whisper one word so warmly and tenderly into her ear. _''Reika.''_

Unaware of the fact that this man was a monster and delighted that there was finally someone there—someone who would willingly take care of her—she smiled at him, toothless gums and all.

* * *

VIII.

* * *

There were those rare nights during which the silver-haired woman had actually deigned to visit her.

Fair hair and unusually colored eyes always gleamed in the darkness of the night and her bell-like voice whispered things Reika never bothered to understand.

Her whole attention had been captured by the woman's inhuman beauty and the wide eyes that regarded her with a small amount of something akin to disdain.

If Reika was lucky, her mother would hold her. Those times allowed her to forget everything. Surrounded by the scent of flowers and her vision blocked by the pale kimono the woman loved to wear, she would allow herself to relax.

There was nothing Reika craved more than human touch.

* * *

IX.

* * *

 _The universe truly did seem to hate her._

* * *

X.

* * *

Her new father took her from the only home she knew since she woke up after dying. Picked her tiny body up from inside the wooden crib she spent most of her time in and proceeded to carry her out of her new mother's mansion.

They entered a car and drove through the frozen streets of what she guessed to be a small city in Japan. One day and then another.

The man wasn't human.

From what she had gathered, everyone who met him seemed to immediately feel some kind of fear. The maid whom the silver-haired woman had ordered to take care of her cowered at the sight of him. His driver had bowed deeply when they stepped out of the house and averted his eyes from the man's form.

Though fear might not have proven his inhumanity, the bright glowing red orbs currently regarding her with the curiosity of a lion that had finally found its meal did.

 _Red. Just like her blood had been._

* * *

XI.

* * *

Reika could not bring herself to completely fear the man. A part of her did fear him, of course, but the rest just felt curious and slightly hopeful.

That hope was squashed into nothingness once they finally arrived at their apparent destination and her tiny body was unceremoniously thrust into the arms of a very obviously pregnant woman.

He left soon afterward.

She was alone once again.

* * *

XII.

* * *

It did not take her long to realize what was going on. Not when the people now taking care of her constantly addressed her with 'Kuran-sama' or 'Reika-sama'. Not when she heard more conversations in this new home of hers than at her supposed mother's side. Not when she finally learned the name of her 'father' and how unfortunate her situation truly was.

 _Kuran Rido. A pureblood._

And as it turned out, her mother just so happened to be Hio Shizuka.

Was this the universe's idea of a joke?

* * *

XIII.

* * *

Kuran Reika. She was Kuran Reika, the pureblood daughter of Kuran Rido and half-sister of the unborn Shiki Senri.

She had been reborn into a fictional world. _Vampire Knight_ , to be exact.

Knowing her luck, she would probably end up somewhere in the middle of the plot. As a piece on her own ancestor's chessboard.

 _Lovely._

* * *

XIV.

* * *

Reika, she had to get used to that name now, did not remember everything about the story her sister had once told her about. What she did remember did not make her too optimistic about reaching her life-goal of not dying before her fifteenth birthday.

Neither did her predicament as the antagonist's daughter make her situation any better.

At least, Shiki Hiromi wasn't completely bonkers yet.

On most days it was the Shiki woman who took care of her. Fed her with milk and made sure she received all the energy she needed from the servants.

Young vampires truly did get their sustenance from kissing others or more like maintaining skin contact with them.

The thirst Reika had expected of vampires wasn't as profound as she feared it would be. But that did not fool her into believing that things wouldn't change in the future. There would come a time when she would start desiring blood and it would be then that the thirst would unfortunately rear its ugly head.

Reika _feared_ that time.

* * *

XV.

* * *

Shiki Hiromi did not like the young pureblood in her care.

She did not hate her either, but that was a whole other matter. Whom the lady of the household hated more than anything else was the man who sired the tiny child in her arms and the one residing in her womb.

There were no words in the world that could describe how much she hated that _bastard._

The only thing stopping her from denying Rido's order of taking care of his daughter was her own unborn child. Hiromi would always love it more than she despised that man.

She feared what he might have done should she have said no.

Besides, raising Kuran Reika could end up being a golden opportunity. Her child would grow up alongside the girl.

 _As her little sibling._

Yes, the opportunity was too good to say no to it.

* * *

XVI.

* * *

She did not know much about children or their development. And quite honestly, she did not care about it either.

Reika just wanted to see the world from a perspective other than laying in her crib or in someone's arms. Thus, after days and days of trying, she finally managed to push herself up and sit for the first time.

She thought that compared to that walking couldn't be too hard.

Immediately, she tried pushing herself onto her feet, but that turned out to be a mistake. Falling backwards, she almost hit her head against the railing of her crib and couldn't help crying out loud in fright.

People rushed into her room. Eyes wide and glowing red.

It was then that she noticed her scratched arm. She was a _helpless,_ bleeding pureblood in house full of hungry vampires.

There wasn't any doubt in her mind about how this situation would end.

Surprisingly, her worries turned out to be for nothing. Shiki Hiromi rushed into the room and ordered everyone else to leave it.

The woman gently cleaned her wound with a cloth and by the time she was finished there was no injury left. Then she burned the bloodied cloth.

Reika wasn't left completely alone in that room ever again.

* * *

XVII.

* * *

He came back. Only three months after he had left her in the arms of a stranger Rido came back to visit her.

She had been calmly sitting inside her crib and looking at the full moon shining outside of the window. Back leaned against a small stack of pillows and eyes slightly wider than usual.

The night truly was a beautiful one.

That is until her 'father' stormed into the room and scooped her almost harshly into his arms.

A frightened wail escaped her lips and she might have actually started crying if she had not noticed the expression on his face.

Red eyes regarded her hungrily and she could see blood staining his clothes. There were a lot of different smells, a lot of different people he must have drained that night or the night before, but the one that stood out the most to Reika made the blood in her own veins freeze.

Sweet and _pure._ She knew exactly what atrocity Rido must have committed.

The young Kuran Kaname was dead and their ancestor once again among the living.

* * *

XVIII.

* * *

Shiki Senri was born in winter.

After hours and hours of Hiromi's pain filled shrieks his crying finally joined her.

He was bundled up in a violet cloth and put into Reika's crib.

With her new brother at her side, she fell asleep.

* * *

XIX.

* * *

Senri was adorable in a way only small children could be.

A pale face, a tuft of mahogany hair on his head and most importantly wide gray eyes. Rarely, if the light shone in just the right way, they changed their color into an icy blue that instantly reminded Reika of their father's one orb.

But besides those eyes, there was nothing in her new brother's features that indicated their shared heritage.

Sometimes it made her wonder if he truly was Rido's son. Because how could something so _innocent_ be created by such a man.

A man with no moral. A man completely incapable of love, even for his only two children. That was something Reika knew without a doubt and had no illusions about.

Rido did not love anyone. Not Juuri. Not her. Not Senri.

And that was the one thing that made Reika fear and _pity_ the man in equal measures.

* * *

XX.

* * *

Since the day of Senri's birth and Rido's consecutive visit Hiromi's sanity seemed to be in a steady decline. She stopped visiting their room as often as she used to and when she finally did appear there just seemed to be something wrong with her. Reddish brown locks were always disheveled and blue-tinted eyes glazed over.

There was nothing either Reika or Senri could do. Both them were still at least physically too young to even understand that Hiromi was changing.

And so Reika silently watched Shiki Hiromi's descent into madness.

* * *

XXI.

* * *

Senri liked to hold on to her fingers while he slept. His grip surprisingly tight for someone of his size.

He always reached out for her in his sleep and grasped onto her hands tightly, as if afraid of being left alone. There were also those times when he decided that her hand was the perfect pacifier.

Those times her hands always dripped with saliva after she finally managed to free them from his grasp.

Quite surprisingly, even after experiencing such behavior, Senri rarely actually managed to annoy her. And although Reika liked to think that it was because she was a very patient person, a part of her knew the truth.

Shiki Senri was the first person who showed her any true affection in this new life and for that Reika _loved_ him.

* * *

XXII.

* * *

Her first word ended up being her little brother's name.

The action itself did not mean much to her, but she wanted her first word to be some kind of statement.

That's why she decided to talk for the first time when there wasn't just a servant in the room but Hiromi as well. Reika pushed herself up from her laying position and opened her mouth.

Only to promptly close it again. Forming an actual word wasn't as easy as some might think. Especially when you have been only wailing for the last few months.

She tried again and again, fearing that Hiromi would leave soon.

Reika reached her goal just half an hour before the Shiki matriarch left. Her lips spread into a wide smile and whispered her first true word. _''Senri.''_

 _Shiki Hiromi smiled rather deviously._

* * *

XXIII.

* * *

They both grew at a peculiar pace.

While their bodies stayed small and somewhat frail, their mind matured rather fast and their behavior changed. Or at least that's what happened to Reika's brother. There wasn't much she could say about her own mental development, but she did notice that some things had gotten exponentially easier.

Maybe it had to do with being a child or perhaps it was another perk of being a vampire that made remembering things so easy.

Even after months had passed Reika could still remember her biological mother's cruel eyes and the way they regarded her when Rido came. She could remember small useless things the servants talked about in her vicinity and she had no problems when it came to remembering the small card pictures the servants showed her as a game.

Reika was slowly starting to understand how different this world truly was.

Fairness did not exist here, _blood_ was the only thing that mattered.

* * *

XXIV.

* * *

Walking wasn't easy and Reika only dared to try it again months after her last failure.

A servant had put her and Senri on a thick woolen blanket on the floor and turned for a second to get some of her brother's favorite toys.

Reika stood up on shaky legs and fell.

The servant, a short-haired blonde, turned around and her eyes widened slightly. She rushed over to her, but did not raise her voice. None of the servants ever even dared to scold her for anything.

Kuran Reika was a pureblood and they were far too beneath her to dare something like that.

But the unexpected thing was that the girl did not stop her from trying again. On the contrary, the servant helped her up and held Reika as she took her first step.

That day the young pureblood bothered to remember a servant's name for the first time.

 _Akiyama Makoto._

* * *

XXV.

* * *

After little persuasion Akiyama Makoto was permanently assigned to her. The young girl was like a mother for both Senri and Reika. She spent most of her time with the children, taking care of them in every way possible.

And while Reika would deny ever loving her in the future, it did not change the fact that the young servant crawled into her heart and would rip it apart with her death.

A death that would stop her from getting close to anyone but her brother ever again.

* * *

XXVI.

* * *

''Why don't you give me a kiss on the cheek, Reika-sama, Senri-sama?'' The blonde girl smiled down at the two children sitting on her lap.

They did as she told them to, their bodies absorbing energy from Makoto while her thin fingers tickled their sides.

Childish giggles echoed through the whole mansion.

* * *

XXVII.

* * *

 _Jealousy._

It could be such an _ugly_ thing.

Among vampires even more so.

* * *

XXVIII.

* * *

Reika watched as her brother tugged on the servant girl's dress. His legs were barely holding him and trembled with exhaustion, but he did not give up until he gained Makoto's attention.

Smiling, the girl knelled down and put her hand's on Senri's waist, keeping the child from falling backwards. ''Hai, Senri-sama?''

''Outside?'' The word sounded childish and it was hard to recognize its true meaning if one wasn't familiar with Senri's speech.

''Hmm...the weather is nice enough to go out for a walk, I guess.'' Shining blue eyes turned to the grinning pureblood. ''What do you think, Reika-sama? Would you like to go outside?''

After standing up carefully from her blanket, Reika waddled over to the duo, the wide grin never left her face. ''Yes. Weather _so_ pretty.''

Was that something a child would have said? It was something Reika often wondered. She might not have cared all that much about what people thought of her, but she did not want them to start being suspicious.

Quite honestly, she should have just said _'no'._

* * *

XXIX.

* * *

They went into the garden and sat down in a small circle.

Flowers in full bloom surrounded them and Makoto weaved a small crown for the pureblood princess.

A small accessory that would soon be joined by her own blood.

* * *

XXX.

* * *

Reika was the first one to notice him, her head turning to the entrance and eyes widening.

Rido looked _feral._

But there was something else in his eyes. Something besides anger. The madman had long since ceased to care for appearances and did not even bother to try hiding what he truly felt.

Not that there were many emotions left inside of him. However, Reika knew the ones she saw very intimately.

 _Jealousy. Possessiveness._

Her father might have not loved her, but that did not mean that Reika was allowed to love anyone besides him.

* * *

XXXI.

* * *

''I do not remember allowing anyone to take _my_ daughter outside.''

One sentence. A blur. The smell of blood.

Akiyama Makoto's head flew through the air and landed with a sick thud at Reika's feat.

Stained with blood, the little girl _screamed._

* * *

XXXII.

* * *

Nightmares haunted both children for the following months.

They awoke screaming in the middle of the night and found solace in each others embrace.

None of the servants gave them any comfort. _They did not dare to._

* * *

XXXIII.

* * *

 _''You are a pureblood, Reika-sama, and as a pureblood you stand above us all.''_

* * *

XXXIV.

* * *

They were taught the vampire hierarchy from a very young age.

From Level A to Level E and all their characteristics.

The most important one was that there was no one more important than a pureblood. A pureblood could practically do no wrong. They stood above everything and everyone else and were to be treated only with the outmost respect.

After that lesson Senri was forced to call her _'Onee-sama'._

* * *

XXXV.

* * *

Reading. Writing. Dancing. Singing. Playing an instrument. Etiquette. Speaking at least two different languages. Knowledge of the vampire history.

Those were all things Reika was forced to start learning when she reached the age of two and a half.

After all, a pureblood couldn't be anything but perfect.

* * *

XXXVI.

* * *

When they outgrew their crib, two separate rooms were assigned to them.

That did not stop Senri from crawling into her bed every night.

* * *

XXXVII.

* * *

The tutor looked at her with kind eyes. ''It's ' _Mädchen',_ Reika-sama. You pronounce it the wrong way.''

Why had she chosen to learn German instead of French once again? In comparison to the language she was currently learning, the subject she once hated so much seemed like nothing.

* * *

XXXVIII.

* * *

A sharp tug. Reika's scalp hurt.

Senri continued trying to weave her hair into a plait.

His loud giggles stopped her from interfering.

* * *

XXXIX.

* * *

 _''Only the blood of a beloved can quench a vampire's eternal thirst. If that beloved dies, then so does any chance at peace the vampire ever had.''_

* * *

XL.

* * *

Holding her tightly to his chest, Rido stroked Reika's hair.

He visited the Shiki manor sporadically and always managed to frighten the girl into an almost paralyzed state.

Perhaps the monster would not notice her, if she did not move. Sadly, Reika never did have so much luck. A hand tightened painfully around her tiny wrist and pulled it towards her father's mouth.

Rido inhaled deeply and practically purred. ''So pure, _my dearest princess._ You know, we are royalty among royalty. The son and granddaughter of a true _king.''_

Glowing red eyes regarded her with thinly veiled amusement and for a moment Reika feared that he would actually bite her.

* * *

XLI.

* * *

 _''There is nothing more sinful than spilling a pureblood's blood.''_

* * *

XLII.

* * *

Reika was eighteen years old, looked physically like three and did not know what to think about her new life.

Sometimes she thought that despite what the future held in store for her this new life wasn't bad at all. On other days she had no idea what her purpose truly was and why she should keep going on.

A good thing was that she had a long time to find answers for those questions.

After all, as a pureblood Kuran Reika would live for the rest of _eternity._

* * *

XLIII.

* * *

She woke up one morning with a aching throat.

An illness or upcoming sickness were used as an excuse for the unusual feeling.

 _It did not go away._

* * *

XLIV.

* * *

Reika's lips touched a servant's cheek, eyes closing as she felt the energy entering her body.

Her throat _burned._

Eyes glowing a bright red, she bit the servants cheek.

The pureblood had never tasted something so heavenly before.

* * *

XLV.

* * *

 _The burning never stopped._

* * *

XLVI.

* * *

Senri started desiring blood not long after her. Reika became his first victim and according to the vampire law he should have been heavily punished for that.

They did not dare touch him after the windows cracked at her anger and the whole mansion shook.

No one told Rido about what had happened.

* * *

XLVII.

* * *

Shiki Hiromi was _cackling._

It was their first family dinner since, well, ever and the woman was cackling like a madman. Her head thrown back and teeth gleaming in the dim light.

''A wonderful idea. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.'' Sometimes she whispered and sometimes she shrieked.

Reika's supernatural hearing caught both, but she did not dare ask what the woman actually meant. Taking a pair of chopsticks into her hand, the young girl whispered. ''Itadakimasu.''

Both her and Senri ate in silence while Hiromi continued mumbling indefinable things.

* * *

XLVIII.

* * *

She was to be kept hidden. Not allowed to ever leave the Shiki mansion.

The world could never know of her birth.

 _Kuran Reika did not exist._

* * *

XLIX.

* * *

Books. They were the only escape she had from reality. Her personal haven.

At the age of three, almost four, Reika had a giant shelf spanning over a whole wall full of books in her room. There were all kinds of genre there. From Thriller to Fantasy and Romance.

Her personal favorite, however, was _horror._

* * *

L.

* * *

 _Blood._

It was a fundamental part of every vampires life. It determined the course of their life and was often the main driving force behind every action.

Drinking this sacred liquid wasn't just a daily action in a vampire's life. It was a hallowed rite that strengthened the bonds of families and friends and was seen as one of the most beautiful experiences one could have.

But it wasn't just the drinking that mattered, no, the sharing was just as important. Giving your blood to someone could mean many things. It could show respect, loyalty and sometimes even love.

Reika once heard the servants arguing over who should be the one to feed her their blood. For them it was an honor to sustain her. For their blood to flow in her pure veins and a part of it to stay with her for the rest of eternity.

An honor wasn't what she would call it. Maybe it would have been in another situation, if she was actually allowed to take part in this sacred exchange.

She never was and that was something that made feel rather bad. The truth was that Reika was always taking and never giving anything back. Of course the young pureblood did not want to feed the whole mansion with her blood, but she would not have had anything against sustaining her own brother.

Especially after their father once forced her to almost drain Senri dry.

To help him that day, she would not have minded if he had some of her blood. It would have only been fair.

* * *

LI.

* * *

Senri was going on without her.

Unlike Reika, he was allowed to leave the mansion and experience freedom. Play dates were arranged for him and he found companions other than her.

While he continued evolving, Reika stayed behind and watched him slowly leaving her side.

Not once did she protest.

* * *

LII.

* * *

''Your mother doesn't need someone like you; an unruly child that constantly causes her trouble.'' Hidden out of sight, Reika watched Rido harshly petting her brother's head. ''If you want to be a good son, then you better become the silent little doll she needs, otherwise you might end up being redundant in the future.''

She should have interfered. Should have said something or at least tried to comfort her _little_ brother, whose eyes were already leaking tears, but she didn't.

Reika _couldn't_ because no matter how much she might have loved her brother, she feared Rido even more.

Thus she watched wordlessly how her father destroyed a part of her _little_ brother's innocence.

* * *

LIII.

* * *

After that day Shiki Senri was never the same again.

He changed from a happy child into a reserved young boy that rarely spoke unless directly asked a question. Never again did Reika hear his running footsteps in the hallway and neither did he ever again call her 'Nee-chan' by accident.

Their father had stolen something from him and Reika hated herself for not doing anything against it.

* * *

LIV.

* * *

It took a her a long while to realize what Rido was doing. That he was trying to isolate her from everyone else. Trying to make her dependent on him.

And with that startling realization Reika saw that he already started separating her from Senri, the only person that truly cared about her in this new life.

Had Kuran Reika been a good sister, then she would have let go of her younger brother.

But Reika had never been _good._ Neither did she have to be good.

Kuran Reika was a pureblood and as such she deserved to have whatever she wanted.

Shiki Senri just happened to be the unlucky one whom ended up being loved by a pureblood.

* * *

LV.

* * *

That night she crawled into Senri's bed.

Rido had visited them just a day ago and so Reika knew that they had at least a week without another visit from him. When she entered the young boy's room his eyes widened in surprise and something akin to apprehension. Looking at her with slightly hooded eyes, Senri raised himself. ''What are you doing here, Onee-sama?''

On bare feet, Reika walked to him and then crawled onto his bed. Her tiny hands grasped his own and she smiled a little uncertainly. ''I'm _hungry,_ Otouto.''

Fear entered his eyes and he bit his lip. ''Should I call one of the servants?''

''No.'' A trembling hand tilted his head to the right. ''I told them not to disturb us.''

Resignation. Seeing such an emotion almost made her stop. However, Reika knew that this was one of her only chances. In this new life she had no one but her brother and she could not bear the thought of losing him because of their father.

Grasping the last threads of her resolve, Reika lowered her head and gently sunk her teeth into her brother's skin. Through his blood she could feel all his emotions. The fear, the resignation and a slight need to please her. Happiness that she was there with him and even the terror he felt at the thought of their father.

Reika retracted her teeth before she took too much from him, her tongue lapping the residue blood up from the closing wounds.

Instead of leaving the room as her brother would have probably preferred, she changed her position so that she was kneeing in front of her brother. Her eyes glowed red as she whispered her next statement.

 _''Now it's your turn.''_

* * *

LVI.

* * *

It took her a lot of convincing for Senri to even dare to come near her.

At the end she used her own nails to cut a small part of her throat and practically forced her brother to drink her blood. His arms moved around her waist and she poured all of her feelings into him.

Reika knew that it was unfair of her. To force such a burden upon such a young child.

That did not stop her from making her brother feel her worst fears, her loneliness and longing for companionship.

After Senri retracted his fangs from her throat, he made her a promise Reika would never forget.

 _''Don't worry, Onee-sama. I'll never leave you.''_

* * *

LVII.

* * *

 _That wasn't the only time she would give him her blood._

* * *

LVIII.

* * *

Senri's uncle came to live with them a few weeks before her fourth birthday. By then Hiromi's sanity was completely gone and his presence more than appreciated.

That did not mean that Reika liked or trusted him.

The man had some secret business with Rido and that alone made him highly dangerous.

* * *

LIX.

* * *

Reika was nineteen and celebrating her fourth birthday. Every single person in the Shiki mansion bought her a present. One more extravagant than the other.

 _She did not need any of them._

The only present Reika did appreciate was the small box of strawberry poky her brother gave her.

* * *

LX.

* * *

Rido was spending more and more time with the council. Such an act was disconcerting, yet highly welcome.

After all, the more time he spent with the council, the less time he had for his children.

* * *

LXI.

* * *

Was she a bad person? Should she do something or already have done something? How much would this new life change her?

What did her birth change? Would Kuran Kaname sacrifice her in his future plans? Why did not anyone do something against Rido? What would happen when he was finally gone? How could she protect Senri and herself? When would all this finally be over?

Would everything still happen as it once had in that accursed story? How much was she allowed to change?

Those were just some of the questions Kuran Reika frequently asked herself.

* * *

LXII.

* * *

Her lips brushed against Rido's throat and fangs extended. He was holding her tightly and awaiting her next move.

Moving slightly forward, Reika's fangs pierced her father's skin.

She had never tasted blood as divine as his was.

* * *

LXIII.

* * *

''Reika-sama, you already ate one package of poky today. Takehiko-sama forbade us giving you or Senri-sama too many sweets.'' The servant smiled kindly at the small girl. The auburn haired woman did not like denying the young pureblood anything, however, the children could not be allowed to eat only sweets for the whole day.

Senri tugged at his sister's hand. ''Come, Onee-sama, maybe uncle will give us some more, if we ask him nicely.''

Feeling relieved that the pureblood's unreadable gaze had been steered away from her, the servant considered herself dismissed and tried to silently leave the room. The woman should have known better than to turn her back on a pureblood.

 _''But I want some poky now.''_ The Kuran princesses' voice was slightly deeper than normal, almost purring. '' _You will give it to me, won't you, Noriko?''_

Unbidden, the servant's feet moved back into the kitchen and towards one of the shelves. She took out the sweets and handed them over to the children.

Takizawa Noriko never stood a chance.

* * *

LXIV.

* * *

Enhanced senses, strength and speed. The ability to remember most things rather easily. Telekinesis. Control over lesser vampires. The possibility of being able to wield an anti-vampire weapon. And perhaps one of her parent's special abilities.

Only blood mattered in their world and Kuran Reika had the best blood of all.

* * *

LXV.

* * *

Kuran Reika had changed a lot. Being trapped in a mansion for more than five years and living in constant fear of a man that was supposed to be her father could do that to a person.

Her only consolation was that she managed to convince Rido into expanding her prison. The garden and the surrounding forest had been made a part of her golden-gilded cage during her last birthday.

Reika feared what might have happened had he not done it.

Would she have ended up like Shiki Hiromi?

* * *

LXVI.

* * *

 _Cienna Donati. She had once been Cienna Donati._

* * *

LXVII.

* * *

Looking into the mirror was always a peculiar experience. Sometimes Reika still expected a completely different person to look back at her.

Oftentimes her own soft features managed to surprise her.

Unblemished pale skin. Mahogany brown hair. Rosy eyes.

The chubby features of a child.

Reika doubted that she would ever get completely used to them.

* * *

LXVIII.

* * *

Rido was late. He had been gone for more than a month and Reika was slowly starting to worry.

Not about him, of course, but about the shit the madman could have gotten their small family into. It was when she began considering to just go and ask Takehiko if he knew what her father was doing that she felt it happen.

There weren't any words that could describe what she was feeling. But suddenly, something in the world seemed to be missing, only a huge gaping hole was left in its stead.

That day most of the vampire population did not sleep.

* * *

LXIX.

* * *

 _''Kuran Haruka and Kuran Juri are dead. They were murdered last night.''_

* * *

LXX.

* * *

The message of her uncle's and aunt's death should not have made her feel relieved. Sadly, it did.

After all, because of their death Rido had been incapacitated. Now he could hurt neither Senri nor her.

They were save.

 _Or so she thought._

* * *

LXXI.

* * *

Reika could feel him coming. His presence undoubtedly one of a predator.

It felt as if someone was trying to contain the sea inside a small pickle jar. His presence seemed to overflow in all directions and felt like the calm before a storm. Menacing and awe-inspiring like a tiger ready to pounce on you.

For a moment Reika wondered how someone could not feel _it._ That thrashing and barely contained danger following _him_ wherever _he_ went.

Though most probably thought that it had to do with _him_ being a pureblood, Reika knew better. She could feel the waves of nostalgia and, for lack of better words, _age_ rolling off of him and never before had the girl felt so _apprehensive._

This apprehension turned to dread when she noticed that _he_ was aware of her presence. The air seemed to be prodding her and for a moment she couldn't breathe.

Then she pushed with all of her might and felt the power reeling back in slight surprise. There was no chance of getting away anymore. The only thing left to do was to face _Kuran Kaname_ and hope that he would not kill her.

* * *

LXXII.

* * *

Even though the servants feared Rido, they still stayed fiercely loyal to him and his children. When Kuran Kaname knocked on the Shiki mansion's door the brave head maid opened it and kindly asked him to fuck off.

Alright, she formulated it way more polite and along the lines of Takehiko not being home and him coming back to visit later. She tried it over and over again, coming up with additional reasons for why he could not enter the mansion. Her loyalty warmed Reika's heart, yet she was aware of the fact that it was completely undeserved.

Unfortunately, Reika knew that her supposed cousin would not leave no matter what they said. In hopes of salvaging the situation, she left her room and slowly walked in the direction of the foreign voice. Moving as fast as she could, Reika stopped a few meters behind the servant. ''He may come in, Chinatsu.''

The maid bit her lip and turned to look at her. ''Are you sure, Reika-sama?''

 _''Hai.''_

Chinatsu swung the door open and the seemingly young pureblood entered the only home Reika had known in this new life.

Kuran Kaname's gazed racked over her form, assessed her, judged her. It wandered up and down her body till it finally reached her rosy orbs.

Reika clenched her fists.

* * *

LXXIII.

* * *

This was how it all started, with the first meeting of their eyes.

* * *

 **Important!: Only the first chapter will be written like this (in drabbles). It's a prologue and I decided to write it like this because I did not want to spend the next few months describing my protagonist's early childhood. However, I did not want to completely leave it out as well, so I decided to write this prologue. The next chapter will be a 'normal' one (2k-3k long) that will deal with Reika's and Kaname's first meeting.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, you have no idea how happy I am. More than 180 followers and 160 favorites for one chapter. And so many nice reviews as well. Thank you all for your support.**

 **Like I promised this chapter has a little over 3k words.**

 **I have watched and read Vampire Knight a few years ago, so I'm not sure if I know all the facts. One of the things I don't know at all is when Kaname 'remembers' who he truly is. If some of you know it then please tell me.**

 **If you have any questions, you are welcome to inform me of them in a review or a PM.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 2_

 _Starring Role_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where She Met A Wolf In A Sheep's Clothing_

* * *

 _"Never did the world make a queen of a girl who hides in houses and dreams without traveling."_

 _― Roman Payne, The Wanderess_

 _"Death is so terribly final, while life is full of possibilities."_

 _― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones_

* * *

 _This was how it all started, with the first meeting of their eyes._

 _._

 _._

 _._

Kuran Kaname's eyes had the color of cognac mixed with just the fewest droplets of blood. They gleamed in the dim entranceway and met her own gaze with an all-knowing look. The sheer age those orbs managed to convey froze Reika momentarily in place and made her wonder how much they could actually _see._

Had the young girl not known better, then she might have actually thought that _he_ could discern the truth that laid beneath her innocent facade. That he had already figured out that she wasn't truly one of his descendants, just a soul that had stolen a child's body.

Looking into them made her feel as if she was starring into an endless abyss. They were dark and cold and even though she wanted to, Reika could not tear her gaze away from his. She felt trapped by the intensity of those dark pools and could do nothing but stare into them. And wasn't that frightening? A glance from him could trap her in place and change her into a defenseless little girl.

Fear and helplessness coursed through her veins and her instincts shouted at her to _run._ Was this how a zebra felt while facing a pride of lions?

Her fists clenched tighter, nails almost breaking her soft skin. A primal part of her made sure that it did not happen. There was no need for her to lure the monster with the smell of her pure blood.

At that very moment Reika realized one important fact. Kuran Kaname was the embodiment of the apex predator.

 _Beautiful. Frightening. Deadly._

She had once thought that no one could ever frighten her as much as Rido did, but standing before that small boy made her aware of how wrong she had actually been. Rido's madness could not compare to Kuran Kaname's ancient presence. Feeling how it was trying to suffocate her made Reika question how anyone could stand to be near him. Perhaps he could reign that power inside his body, make it seem as if it did not exist, and yet the girl could not fathom how anyone could not feel _it._

That breath-stealing, fear-inducing and aged _power._

If there was some secret technique to block it from ones senses, she really hoped that someone would teach her soon. Otherwise, Reika could not bear the thought of spending too much time in her elder's presence.

Her shoulders hunched slightly as she felt his ancient aura weighting down on them and startling verity crossed her mind. Reika could not even begin to comprehend the ancient and timeless being that stood before her.

A wolf in a sheep's clothing. A monster dressed in the skin of a child.

One of the first members of her kind. An ancient vampire.

 _An Ancestor._

How horrible it must have truly been to live for so long? _Alone,_ without a companion to stay by his side. Haunted by a hunger that she had known for a sparse few years. Ripped awake from the freeing sleep he choose to endeavor and forced into a world so different from the one he had known.

Reika pondered how much Kaname must have actually hated her father and in extension maybe even her.

Her clammy palms forced her attention back to the present situation and she wiped them off on her gray silky dress. Biting her lower lip softly, Reika felt uncomfortably trapped. Her mind once again wandered to the fact that would he have wanted to, Kuran Kaname could have killed her without having to worry about any resistance. She could hardly breathe, let alone protect herself.

A childish, hysterical thought crossed her mind. _Maybe he would not see her if she didn't move?_

Completely still, Reika watched as the ancestor tilted his head to the right. Though she knew that his memories had been supposedly sealed when he became an infant, Reika never even considered the notion that perhaps the boy before her could not remember who he truly was. The possibility alone terrified her and she did not want to even consider the consequences of it being reality.

If his power felt like this in a sealed state, then how massive and fearsome would it be when he finally regained all of it?

Considering that she could hardly stand next to him at this very moment, Reika preferred to think that she was already facing her ancestor and not a mere shadow of him.

It was then that she felt something warm stroke her bare arms. The feeling was similar to very light electric shocks, tickling the exposed parts of her skin. Whatever was touching her did not have a texture, neither could it be seen or smelled. A sixth sort of sense she had acquired in this new life alerted her to whatever it was and allowed her to feel _it._

A presence that touched her without possessing a body or will of its own. Having already faced something similar in her father's presence, though infinitely weaker, it did not take her long to figure out the truth.

Startled, Reika realized that for the whole time since he had entered the Shiki mansion Kuran Kaname had been probing her, challenging her, testing her and perhaps even finding her to be _lacking._

Something primal and ugly reared its head inside of her.

Reika may not have been more powerful than him, but that did not make her _inferior._

 _(You are a pureblood, Reika-sama,...)_

She was aware of the fact that she could not defy him, nor try to instigate a fight in public, but that did not mean that she would lower herself to something less than she actually was.

 _(...and as a pureblood you stand above us all.)_

For all the world knew, they were both of the same standing. The reason for why she had to show him any kind of respect was only that he had been 'born' a few years before her. Kuran Kaname was older than her—most did not know how much older he actually was—and now that her father was supposedly dead and his 'parents' killed, that made him into the 'patriarch' of the Kuran family. But that did not mean that she had to _bow_ to him.

A part of her knew that this was an attitude that would probably get her into real trouble in the future. However, Reika did not have one humble bone in her body, not after spending five years in this new world where she was treated like some divine being, and she could not just stand there and let someone look down upon her.

Hesitating just for a second, Reika _pushed_ against the probing sensation and immediately felt how the ancient power fought back. Perspiration gathered on her temple and she panted slightly in exertion. Never before had Reika felt so _weak_ and though her shoulders trembled in fear and the strain she was beginning to feel, the girl met the gaze of her ancestor and narrowed her eyes minutely.

To him the pureblood princess most likely looked like a wounded animal and there was no denying the fact that she also felt like one.

''Reika-sama?'' Chinatsu, the headmaid that moved a few steps towards her during the staring contest between the two purebloods, questioned with a trembling voice. Whether it was trembling due to worry or her own fear Reika could only guess. ''This is...'' The maid pointed at the young looking boy. ''...your cousin, Kuran Kaname.''

Slowly, the pressure was lifted off her shoulders and a deep intake of air raised her chest. Trembling hands tucked a strand of mahogany colored hair behind her right ear and a pinkish tongue darted out to wet her dry lips. Knowing that the servant was waiting for some kind of reassurance, Reika forced her head to move almost imperceptibly.

''Kaname-sama.'' The low-ranked vampire continued. ''This is Reika-sama, Rido-sama's daughter.''

Reika _cringed_ and wished that she could just turn around and leave. Unfortunately, there was no such a choice and Reika, as the only pureblood inhabiting the house, had to be the one to welcome the other Kuran. The only choice she had left was how exactly she would do it.

Right then every single action she choose to make would have an impact on the future relationship she would have with her ancestor. Reika could not, _would not_ fall to her knees for anyone, however, that did not mean that she could challenge Kaname.

Respectful, that was how she had to appear, yet she could not lower herself to the position of a servant or anyone of a similar standing. Kaname had to see her as an equal or at least something close to it.

There was also the point that she had to appear as harmless as possible. Her becoming a threat to him was something Kaname would most likely never have to fear, but he could end up seeing her as a threat to Yuki and that would mean her death.

 _Yuki..._ considering her family's incestual tendencies the chances were very high that she looked a lot like the youngest Kuran. After all, there were noticeable similarities between herself and Kaname, so her previous conclusion couldn't be too farfetched.

Kaname's 'sister' was his only true weakness and it was also a weakness Reika herself could exploit. Reminding him of her, being similar to her, might actually end up softening his attitude towards herself.

Though not common, it wasn't rare for a person to address their older cousin with a familiar honorific.

Deciding to go with this hopefully best course of action, Reika tilted her head slightly to the right and allowed a soft smile to crawl onto her lips. She grasped the front of her dress with her clammy hands and fiddled with it in a shy manner. ''Welcome to the Shiki mansion, Kaname-onii-sama.''

''Thank you for having me.'' His voice was as sweet as honey and surprised Reika with its childishness. For a moment his smile fooled her into believing that he truly was a child.

Looking away from his face for just a second, enough to remind herself of whom the boy before her was, Reika performed a perfect fifteen degrees bow. ''It's an honor to have you here.''

Pleasantries were a tedious necessity.

''The honor is all mine,'' He bowed back and she thought that maybe it was not as deep as her own had been, but Reika couldn't be sure. ''Though I have to admit that I had not expected my visit to start this way.''

''I hope we have not disappointed you, Kaname-onii-sama.'' Another sweet and shy smile was send his way.

The other pureblood shook his head. ''Of course not.''

He said nothing else and silence surrounded them. Reika focused on her heightened senses, especially her hearing, to check on what her brother was doing. A sight of relief almost managed to escape her lips when she found him sleeping inside his room. It was better if Senri did not meet Kaname until she knew that the other pureblood did not present any threat to him.

Senri's safety meant a lot to the pureblood princess and protecting him from as much harm as she could was an important part of her new existence. The girl had failed her brother already once, she did not want to do so again.

After making sure that he was safe for a second time, Reika turned her head to Chinatsu. ''Prepare some tea for us. In the meantime we shall make our way to the dinning room.''

Chinatsu hesitated for a second, her gaze moving to Kaname. At the end, she did not dare to defy her mistress. ''Hai, Reika-sama.'' Looking back only once, the servant scurried away.

They both watched her go in quietude and after Chinatsu disappeared from sight Reika angled her body in the dinning room's direction. ''The dinning room is this way.''

Leading the way, Reika walked forward and stayed unusually quiet. She wasn't a talkative person, but she generally disliked complete silence, thus she often filled it with meaningless talking. Rarely did she feel comfortable enough in another person's presence to stay completely quiet. The servants and people of lower status were the only exceptions because of their lower social standing and the power Reika knew she had over them.

They walked along an empty corridor, passing countless paintings of the Shiki family's ancestors. Their moderate footsteps echoed silently through the mansion and alerted everyone to the other Kuran's arrival.

Unsurprisingly, a servant was already waiting for them at the entrance of the dinning room. An old butler opened the door for them and gestured inside with his right hand. ''Tea and some refreshments will arrive soon, Reika-sama.''

She nodded her head in acknowledgement and stepped inside the room.

A maid, Yume or something similar, was waiting for her at the head of the table and pushed the chair slightly backwards, preparing it for Reika to sit down. The butler did the same for Kaname with the chair opposite of hers. Both purebloods sat down on their respective seats, their posture as perfect as expected of someone of their standing.

Reika cleared her throat. ''Please excuse Takehiko-san's absence. Had he been aware of your impending visit, then he certainly would have been here.''

''It's quite alright. I should have informed you of my intentions.'' Being so charming at such a 'young' age should not have been possible. Whether it was the natural charm of a pureblood or a mask Kaname had put upon his face Reika did not know, however, she found herself almost forgetting who he truly was.

To an outsider their conversation must have looked quite comical. Two children conversing like adults. Their young age and innocence hiding the danger that laid beneath their skin and the intentions that secretly gleamed in their eyes.

''It's fine.'' Below the table Reika grabbed the hem of her dress and gazed at the elder vampire from under her eyelashes. ''Like this I get to know Kaname-onii-sama.''

''Meeting ones family is always a pleasure.'' His head moved slightly to the left and Reika immediately noticed what had caught his attention. Swiftly, Chinatsu was moving in their direction, the tinkering of porcelain loud enough to be heard through the closed doors. Or perhaps it was their supernatural hearing that allowed them to hear everything that was happening in the house.

Despite her hurried pace the maid remembered to knock on the door before she entered. Chinatsu's vampiric heritage made her entrance almost perfect and enabled her to serve the tea and some refreshments flawlessly.

Green tea and two plates with fruit tarts and delicious looking cookies. A set was put in front of each pureblood after the head maid bowed in greeting. ''If there is anything else you should need, just call for me, Reika-sama.'' Her gaze once again wandered towards the other pureblood, the lower ranking vampire's eyes never met the ancestor's unusual orbs.

For a second Reika's smile turned genuine. ''Thank you. You may leave now, Chinatsu.'' Her attention was back to Kaname before the servants footsteps left the room. ''I hope you like green tea, it's currently my favorite. Although my taste in tea does change every few weeks.''

''I do enjoy green tea.'' He took a sip of the fluid. ''Sadly, I do not have much time on my hands today and there are quite a few urgent matters to talk about, so I won't be able to fully enjoy it. Most of those matters concern Takehiko-san, though some involve you as well.''

''Some?'' Cutely, she tilted her head to the side.

Momentarily, Kaname's eyes flashed a fiery crimson and they looked so tired, so world-weary and utterly _inhuman_ that Reika instantly knew they would see through whatever lie she would tell him during their conversation. He might not have known who she truly was, but he knew that she wasn't as innocent as she pretended to be. ''As his daughter you are certainly aware of what your father has done, are you, Reika?''

Just as she had been taught to, the young pureblood princess controlled her facial expressions. It was one of the most important abilities she was taught. Purebloods were seen by most as some kind of divine beings and worshiped like ones as well. The problem was that each vampire had a more primal and dangerous side hidden behind a humanity that only level E did not possess. That side, no matter how large or small it was, would always be there, slumbering beneath their polite masks.

They might have worshiped her like a goddess, but that did not change the fact that should Reika show any signs weakness, they would use them and devour her the moment they could. The power a pureblood's blood could grant was too alluring for them to even think about helping should she be weakened.

Face blank besides the polite smile that graced her lips, Reika said: ''I'm not sure.''

Not a complete lie. Reika did not know about all the atrocious acts her father had committed.

''I see.'' He mirrored her expression. ''I came to make sure that you know where your allegiance should lie. Nothing more, nothing less.''

Reika took a bite from a strawberry tart. The sweet taste of vanilla filled her mouth, quickly followed by the slightly sour strawberry. Chewing deliberately, she thought about how she should answer.

Putting the tart back onto the plate, Reika raised her gaze. ''My loyalty lies with my family. Considering that there is only three of us left, you, my brother and me, I'm sure you know what it means, my dearest cousin.''

He did not need to know that she was aware of Rido's survival.

''Yes, family should always come above all else, Reika.'' His right hand pushed a stray lock of hair from his face. ''We will have to continue this conversation the next time I come. But as I've said, family comes above all else and as such I'm sure we will both be spending a lot of more time with each other soon.''

A rare darkness shrouded his eyes for a second and Reika almost shuddered. She knew that whatever her ancestor was planning, it would mean nothing good for her.

She could only hope to not die again.


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope the length of this chapter makes up for the long wait. It's almost 5,5k long.**

 **Self-promotion: I have published a new Tokyo Ghoul Self-Insert. Try it out if you like that fandom.**

 **Once again, thank you for all of your support and nice reviews.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Have fun.  
**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 3_

 _House of Memories  
_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where The Butterfly Effect Made Its First Appearance_

* * *

 _"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."_

 _― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings_

 _''Much of what was said did not matter, and that much of what mattered could not be said_ _.''_

 _― Katherine Boo  
_

* * *

 _Kuran Kaname_ came back not even a week later, a dozen of servants behind him and Takehiko at his side.

Chinatsu was the one who opened the door for them and there was nothing Reika could have done to stop them from entering the only home she had. She just stood at the top of the staircase and watched how the lower-ranked vampires carried bags and boxes filled with the other pureblood's belongings up the stairs and into one of the guest rooms.

The girl was pretty sure that this was _not_ supposed to happen.

A calm expression was forced onto her face, hiding the panic and apprehension currently coursing through her body. Whatever her existence had changed, Reika could not let the others see how much it affected her. Showing weakness in the presence of another pureblood could be a deadly mistake. And if there was one thing Rido had taught her, then it was that there was no place for weakness in their world.

Being the most powerful members of their society did not make them completely indestructible.

''Reika-sama.'' Takehiko walked up the stairs and stopped three steps bellow her, then he bowed. His reddish hair curled slightly over his forehead and hid the man's stormy gray orbs. ''I believe we should have a talk in my office. The matter is of outmost importance.''

Curiously, Reika tilted her head to the left and regarded the man with an intense look. Rarely did other vampires dare to command her to do something and although he had formulated it as a suggestion, the girl knew that she did not have much of a choice. Staying ignorant to the newest developments in their society and home would not serve her well in the future.

Her eyes moved towards Kaname and a slight hesitation swelled up inside her chest. Would he be joining them or was she meant to accompany the other pureblood to his room before talking to Takehiko?

Fortunately, the young boy answered her question with his following actions. He nodded his head in greeting and moved deliberately in Reika's direction. There was something unnerving about the way he held himself. As if he was a predator stalking its prey.

Stopping in front of her for a moment, the Ancestor smiled politely. For a second Reika glimpsed the sharp fangs inside his mouth and wondered how many people they had already killed. Quickly, she came to the conclusion that she didn't actually care. Since being reborn in this world, her perception of life and death had changed dramatically and the girl had developed a slight disregard for the former.

Life did not have the same meaning to her as it used to. Death had become just another obstacle to pass before starting a new 'adventure'. Why should she care about something as insignificant as the well being of a stranger? Vampire or not, the same fate awaited each living being.

A part of her knew that such a change of views was inevitable. Vampires did not have the luxury of caring about their prey. Such useless emotions only caused hesitancy and unnecessary guilt. Besides, it was hard to care about something that seemed to be so far beneath her.

Reika, as a pureblood princess, stood at the top of the food chain. Humans and vampires alike worshiped the ground she walked upon and after a while the girl started to conform to their beliefs. With blood as pure as hers was, the girl stood above them all. The people surrounding her were only fleeting creatures that held no meaning in her eternal existence.

It was easier to follow those believes than to start caring about too many people she would later lose in her endless life.

Ancient eyes blinked and Reika realized with a small amount of embarrassment that her 'cousin' was waiting for a reply. Although she had not heard his greeting, it wasn't hard to guess what he had said. If the girl was wrong, Kaname did not bother to correct her.

''I'm happy to see you as well, Kaname-onii-sama.'' She smiled adorably and pointed in the direction Takehiko had disappeared in. Servants were walking along the corridor, disappearing in one of the rooms. ''Shall we?''

They walked next to each other, Reika's head barely reaching the older boy's shoulders. Her tiny legs needed to move faster than normally to keep up with the other vampire. Whether he did it deliberately or not, Reika did not know, but it did manage to irritate her. Ever since waking up in this new body, she had come to despise one thing about it.

Helplessness and a forced dependence on adults were a result of her new body's small size and yet some of her abilities did make up for that setback.

Even though she started learning it only a few weeks ago, her limited telekinesis was still pretty useful. In the future this ability could end up being a very dangerous weapon, but for now it only allowed her to levitate objects that would have normally been out of her reach. Laziness was one of the reasons why she had honed this power, another being the simple need for self-control.

Reika did not want to accidentally _hurt_ her brother.

More than once had she lost control over her powers and shattered all the windows in the mansion. Small earthquakes were a common occurrence nowadays and they would only get more dangerous in the future. There was also the occasional manipulation of other vampires. In the beginning she had not done it on purpose—Neither had she truly enjoyed it. There was something truly perverse about steeling another being's will in such a way.—but after a while she came to appreciate the safety it provided her. If someone bellow the rank of a Level A vampire ever came to attack Reika, then she could just _order_ them to leave.

Trying not to use such a _powerful_ ability was like asking Eve not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge. _An impossible request._

 _''_ Please, feel at home.'' Takehiko said while motioning inside his study. One after another they entered the room according to their social status; Kaname first, followed closely by Reika and then her 'uncle'.

A large wooden desk occupied most of the room, a laptop surrounded by countless of papers in the middle of it. Instead of sitting down on the chair behind it, Takehiko waited until both Kaname and her took their seats and offered them some water from the small pitcher on the desk. The ancestor accepted his offer gracefully, while Reika chose to decline.

Handing her cousin a small glass filled with water, Takehiko turned his hesitant gaze towards her. ''After a few long discussions the Council has decided that Kaname-sama will be staying with us from now on.''

That wasn't as surprising as it should have been. Putting one and one together wasn't hard and after seeing the entourage that had arrived with her cousin, Reika had guessed that something like was the reason for their presence.

That knowledge did not stop her expression from contorting almost imperceptibly.

''Kaname-sama shall be staying in one of the guest rooms until the servants prepare his quarters on the upper floor. You will also be attending some of your lessons with him from now on, Reika-sama.'' Leaning his hip against the large desk, the Shiki patriarch poured himself a glass of water.

Reika nodded her head in acceptance. There wasn't anything she could do against the Council before she was old enough to give a legitimate vote. Although she wasn't really interested in politics, the young girl knew that there was no escaping them.

It made her feel extremely wary and apprehensive that the Vampire Government now knew about her existence. No one could say that her feelings were unfounded considering how corrupted the whole system actually seemed to be.

The Council was divided into two houses; the House of Commons and the House Lords. While the former consisted of elected members, the latter gained their votes through the right of hereditary peerage. Reika wasn't too familiar with the whole system, but her tutors had taught her enough to know that no voting was truly fair. The House of Lords was the true ruler of their kind as they could easily buy the votes of the House of Commons.

Their only saving grace was that the House of Lords was divided into two fractions. There were those who were Pro-Council and those who wanted to establish another monarchy. For now the former had more seats, so one of their representatives functioned as the Head of the Council.

Ichijo Asato was rumored to be a very cunning and ruthless man that rarely did not manage to get whatever he wanted. Reika could only guess that it was either through his influence or Kaname's own choice that she now gained another flatmate. It could also be a mix of both.

Shiki Takehiko was a known supporter of the Council and having him as Kaname's guardian would certainly seem appealing to the old politician. There was also the point that Kaname probably wanted to keep a close eye on her, especially as she was living with a member of his 'opposition'. Though the word opposition wasn't probably the right term as Kaname himself did not seem to want another monarchy, neither did he oppose the idea of a council openly.

The true fight was the one between him and Rido. Ichijo Asato foolishly decided to get involved in hope of controlling her father and through him perhaps even Kaname.

From what Reika could remember, her cousin was actually meant to live with the Head of the Council, but she could not fault him for choosing this path. Currently, she was one of the only 'living' purebloods—The number of those that had chosen to endeavor a centuries long sleep was left unknown.—which made her into an important ally.

The Vampire Council was responsible for legislative duties, but any of their choices could be easily overruled by the majority of the currently 'living' purebloods. This law made Reika into a valuable asset and someone Kaname probably wanted on his side for the time being.

''I will share my dancing lessons solely with Senri.'' Seeing Tekehiko opening his mouth, she raised her hand to stop him from saying anything else. ''Both of us enjoy dancing and I would prefer it if those lessons served as bonding time between the both of us. Besides, if Kaname-onii-sama were to join us, someone would always have to stay on the sidelines.''

Knowing how my kind viewed us, Senri would be that person more often than not.

''It's quite alright.'' An empty glass was put upon the desk. ''I'll take my dance lessons at Ichijo-san's house with his grandson and some acquaintances.''

Sighing, Takehiko lowered himself onto the seat behind his desk and inclined his head. ''As long as it does not trouble you too much, Kaname-sama.''

Reika did not miss that the other vampire's needs seemed to take precedence to her own.

''Of course not.'' The ancestor's lips curled in something akin to a mocking smile. ''Though it might be a good idea to train the opening dance for next weeks ball together.''

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ''Ball?''

''You introduction into society, Reika-sama.'' The oldest looking vampire cleared his throat. ''It will be held here in a week's time.''

Reika could barely stop a hiss of displeasure from leaving her mouth. Meeting the Vampire Council and the most influential members of her kind wasn't a part of her plans for the week. Not that she actually wanted to meet any of those people before the end of the next century, preferably the end of the next millennium.

''It will be a delight to meet all those outstanding members of our society.'' She stated dryly, looking up at the ceiling with a silent prayer. Sometimes she could not stop the mask from slipping off her face, revealing some of the distaste she felt for the people surrounding her. Fortunately, it was back on in less than two seconds, the room's occupants the only witnesses of her mistake.

Amusement shone in her 'uncles' eyes, vanishing as soon as it appeared. ''Ichijo Asato cannot wait to meet you.''

Briefly, her eyes narrowed and she could practically feel Kaname's aura coiling in displeasure at the mention of the other man. Reika herself held no love for one of her father's biggest supporters and could for once admit that she shared Kuran Kaname's sentiment when it came to that man.

 _(As always, she ignored the part of herself that actually_ missed _Rido. He might have been a monster, but he was still her father.)_

Reika only just managed to refrain herself from giving another sarcastic reply. Instead she batted her eyelashes cutely and grabbed the hem of her ivory skirt. ''Am I to start the opening dance with Kaname-onii-sama?''

''As the last member of your Clan Kaname-sama shall accompany you to this ball.'' There was no place left for arguments and it wouldn't have done Reika any good to insult her ancestor by saying something stupid.

Nodding her head, she resigned herself to another hour of discussing the following few weeks and what Kuran Kaname's presence would mean for her life.

* * *

The scent of an individual was very important among vampires. Not only because of their heightened senses—Though those were very significant as well. Could you imagine the horror of riding a train full of smelly people with a nose stronger than that of a dog?—but also because of their instincts.

Some smells signaled safety, while others informed them of an impending danger.

Senri, for example, always smelled sweet like bitter chocolate. There was also some fresh apples and of course _blood_ there. After spending so much time in his company, Reika started associating her brother's scent with _home._

She could not claim to feel safe at his side—It was probably the other way around.—because of their different blood status, but there was no one whose presence made her feel as comfortable as that of her brother did.

That was probably why she was currently pressing her nose against his throat and inhaling his smell deeply. Her arms were wrapped around his torso, hands clinging to the back of his shirt.

''Onee-sama?'' Hesitantly, Senri leaned slightly backwards to meet her gaze.

Exhaling softly, the Kuran princess pulled her brother back. Their chests met almost harshly and her mouth gently touched his ear. ''You need to behave during breakfast, Otouto. Be respectful and polite. Don't talk unless asked. Try to keep his attention away from yourself.''

All this was whispered into his ear, only loud enough for her brother to hear.

The young boy leaned his forehead against her own and smiled reassuringly. ''I will. You don't have to worry about me.''

''I would say that I always do, but that would be kind of cliche.'' A humorless laugh followed. Reika caressed her brother cheek softly. ''Please, just do as I told you and there won't be anything for me to worry about.''

''Hai.'' Taking a step away from his sister, Senri ran a hand through his hair. Mahogany tresses fell onto his forehead and tickled his cheeks, making a frown to appear on Reika's face.

Pale hands reached out and immediately tried to tame the younger boy's mane. It ended in a failure as some of the hair decided to defy all physical laws and fly off in all directions.

Reika could only sigh dispassionately once she finally gave up on the task and glimpsed her brother's back. Wrinkles greeted her sight where her hands had previously clutched the material.

Their cousin had arrived too late—Or was it too early? It had been about 4 a.m., a few hours before she always went to bed. Vampires were primarily nocturnal creatures, so most of her household slept during the day and awoke for the night.—the previous day which meant that he still hadn't had the pleasure of meeting her little brother.

That would change in a few minutes as Takehiko had decided to hold a _family_ breakfast of all things. In attendance would be Reika's psychotic ancestor and crazy mother-figure, the woman's manipulative older brother, the sweet but somewhat naive Senri and her own wonderful self.

That was a disaster in the making.

''Just remember what I told you.'' The young girl said firmly as they finally left the room, their footsteps silent on plush carpet.

Senri squeezed her hand. ''I know, I know.''

A maid scurried past them, carrying a heavy looking silver plate. She was gone within seconds, though it did not take a genius to guess her destination. It seemed as if Takehiko was trying to make a good first impression by arranging a breakfast worth of five stars.

The familiar hallway seemed rather daunting that day, faces of her brother's ancestors regarding them with disapproval. Why did there have to be all these paintings on the walls? While worth remembering and certainly beautiful, Reika could have lived on happily without ever having seen the glaring face of Senri's great-great-great-grandmother.

Even from afar the young pureblood could hear Hiromi's prattling and Takehiko's indulgent and placating answers.

 _Kuran Kaname was also present._

A butler, the same one who had been there during their cousin's first visit, opened the door for them after bowing deeply in greeting. Taking a deep breath, Reika entered the room with Senri at her side. She had to force her hand to relax, otherwise the girl might have crushed her brother's appendage.

Upon entering the dinning room, Reika's gaze immediately met the one of her ancestor. ''Kaname-onii-sama.'' She inclined her head. ''I don't believe that you've had the pleasure of meeting my younger brother yet.''

''No, I didn't.'' He answered fluently.

Pulling Senri forward, the female vampire decided to get the introductions over as fast as possible. ''Kaname-onii-sama, this is Shiki Senri. Senri, this is our cousin, Kuran Kaname.''

The Shiki heir bowed deeply in a fashion that had been drilled into him since their first lesson, his gaze nervously flitting in her direction. His next words were spoken cautiously, eyes searching for her approval. ''It's a pleasure to meet you, Kaname-onii-sama?''

Reika bit the inside of her cheek as she heard the silent question accompanying the honorific. Now she could only hope that the older vampire did not reprimand him for copying the way she addressed him.

Kaname just blinked, his mask not slipping even once. ''I'm pleased to meet you as well.''

She could not help noticing how _fake_ and _forced_ all of their interactions seemed. Although the elder Kuran's mask was _perfect_ , it did not change the fact that all of their conversations were overly polite and no one actually ever said anything with true meaning. Most of their talks consisted of forced pleasantries and an adult-like behavior that should not have been seen in two beings that looked so young.

That did not mean that Kaname showed any of the dislike he might have felt for her. Had Reika not known his true identity, then she might have never made such an observation. If it weren't for the _age_ she could so clearly see in his eyes, the girl would have been fooled into thinking that the creature sitting alongside her at the breakfast table was just a _child._

But she knew better.

Reika had felt his ancient presence brushing her skin and remembered the primal _fear_ she had felt that moment.

Kuran Kaname was a predator hiding among his prey, waiting for the right moment to strike. He was an actor and puppeteer that could easily manipulate the people surrounding him.

And the sad thing was that Reika was aware of the fact that not even this knowledge would save her from him.

* * *

A pale pink frilly dress with a darker ribbon adorned her body. Her hair was curled more so than normally and framed her cherubic face perfectly. One of her handmaidens, Fumiko, was putting a pair of light sandals onto her delicate feet, while another carefully took care of her nails. They were shaped faultlessly, slightly longer than appropriate for a child and sharp enough to cut skin.

Senri was resting on her bed, his presence having a calming effect on her frazzled nerves.

''You need to hold still, Reika-sama.'' Fumiko said as she started adjusting her locks, pulling her hair slightly by accident.

Reika waved her off with her left hand, barely refraining from lashing out. The week had passed way too fast in her opinion and now she had to face the most influential members of her society without truly being ready for it.

During the last few days she had trained for the ball, learning the names of the people she would be meeting today and training the opening dance. It was one she had practiced with Senri a few months before, but knowing that her partner would be her cousin made the girl extremely nervous.

Although she was aware of how childish it sounded, Reika truly did not want to _touch_ the other vampire.

''We're late, Onee-sama.'' Senri raised his upper body, leaning his elbows against the soft mattress. ''The guests are waiting.''

Reika met his gaze and sighed. Prolonging their departure wouldn't change anything. No matter what, she had to go down to the ballroom and greet all of the guests. This introduction was too important for her future standing in their society for her to just skip it.

Hopping off her stool, the girl reached out towards her brother with one hand. Their palms touched and kept contact until they reached the door.

Anna, a young vampire from America and her second handmaiden, rushed towards them and opened the door hastily, almost tripping over her own feet. ''You forgot your necklace, Reika-sama.''

A silvery butterfly hung on a long chain, decorated by several expensive diamonds. It had been a gift from her _father_ and it was one of the only things he had left her.

Turning her back to the girl and raising her chin, Reika allowed the other vampire to fasten the jewelry around her neck. Afterwards, she strutted out of the room, letting go of her brother's hand and trying to appear as confident as she could.

Senri trailed behind her. Even their familial relation did not exempt him from proper decorum in public. As a pureblood Reika had to appear untouchable and cold, not caring about anyone bellow her status. Showing anyone how much she actually loved her little brother would be a mistake she wasn't willing to make.

When they finally reached the end of the hallway, the female Kuran forced her face to relax, slipping a polite expression on it. The siblings rounded the corner and immediately saw their uncle and cousin.

Without saying anything, Kaname offered her his arm.

Reika froze for a second, but forced herself to move again as fast as possible. Hesitantly, she put her hand on the offered appendage.

Her skin _buzzed_ at their close proximity, the material of his suit being the only barrier between them.

It was something she had feared from the beginning on. The girl had no idea how his power would feel while touching his skin and she did not actually want to be electrocuted or something similar.

 _(That was why she had avoided practicing with him. Now she regretted letting her fear control her.)_

At the end she did not really have a choice. Kaname, completely ignoring her obvious discomfort, led her towards the top of the stairs. A large crowd of vampires was waiting at them at the bottom. She could feel each of their presences and while she had done her best to ignore them inside her room, Reika had to acknowledge them now.

If the girl were an animal, she would have been growling and snarling at them.

As it was, Kuran Reika just regarded the crowd with a carefully blank expression, her fingers tightening minutely around Kaname's arm.

The other pureblood cleared his throat loudly. ''Please, welcome my younger cousin, Kuran Reika.''

That was all he said, waiting only a few seconds until he started leading her down the stairs and into the ballroom. Vampires bowed all around them, murmuring their greetings, some assessing them with hungry eyes. They parted before them like the Red Sea before Moses.

Soft music played in the ballroom as all of its occupants moved to the sides. A beautiful chandelier bathed the whole room in a dim light and the smell of blood wafted into Reika's nose. Its origin was quickly found in the glasses some servants were distributing among the guests.

Reika's eyes flashed red momentarily.

Her feet stopped moving in the middle of the room, hand slipping from Kaname's arm. The older Kuran positioned himself in front of her and offered her his hand. ''May I have this dance?''

For an impossibly short moment, Reika considered refusing, but she knew better than to rebuff her seemingly strongest 'ally'.

Slowly, her hand moved towards Kaname's, hovering above his palm and then lowering itself. ''Of course.''

Fingertips brushed over silky soft skin as sharp nails trailed over the lines on his palm. A curious warmth wandered up her fingers and spread into the rest of her body. Reika had to swallow a gasp as she felt that ancient power take a gentle hold of her wrist, pushing her hand fully into her cousin's grasp.

She could feel the danger hidden underneath his fragile skin now more clearly than ever before. It roiled and fought against its container, brushing her menacingly.

The band at the other end of the room started a new song, though Reika completely disregarded it. Her entire being was focused on the feel of their other hands touching as well. After their first meeting the girl was understandably cautious around the other vampire, but it seemed as if he had decided to show her some mercy that evening.

His power, while still so very _aged_ and _threatening,_ wasn't pushed onto her aggressively. It seemed almost placid and content.

Startled, Reika noticed how similar their aura's actually were. There were some huge differences, of course. Their age gap made sure of that, but underneath all these millennia their cores were almost the same.

Unconsciously, her own aura reached out and brushed against his. A cautious and fleeting touch that prompted no response from the other pureblood.

An astounding realization crossed Reika's mind. The other vampire wasn't as in control as he liked to appear. Perhaps it had to do with his young body or it might have also been the helplessness each and every vampire faced, but his instincts still had a great power over him. They recognized and maybe even accepted her as one of his descendants.

For the first time in this new life, as the pair gracefully danced across the marble floor, Reika realized that Kuran Kaname was _family._ His blood flowed through her veins and without him she would not have existed.

The girl might have feared and disliked him, but that did not change the fact he was one of the only relatives she had. He wasn't family in the same way as Senri was and he would _never_ be, however, the young looking vampire was still closer to her than most other people in this world.

Such thoughts were very dangerous, Reika knew that. Acknowledging any relation she might have had with the other vampire could lead to perilous ideas.

Pinkish and garnet orbs clashed and Kaname pulled her body forward. A stray lock of her hair brushed his cheek and blinded one of her eyes.

Reika, for what felt like the thousandth time, reminded herself that she could never forget _who_ and _what_ the being before her truly was.

 _Otherwise Kuran Kaname would destroy her and anything she ever held dear._

The music ended then with the last step of the dance and Reika could not get away from the other pureblood fast enough. Her hands abandoned his and she took a step away from him.

Many couples joined them on the dance floor, twirling around them as if they were the sun of their universe. All gravitated towards them, yet none dared to come too close in fear of getting burned.

Before Reika could find a fitting escape route, a hand on her back was already pushing her towards a middle aged looking vampire. The man's blonde hair, longish beard and sky blue eyes announced his identity and forced Reika to clench her teeth tightly.

 _Ichijo Asato_ looked at them through hooded eyes, body lowering in a trained bow. ''Good evening, Kaname-sama.'' He did not sound too thrilled to meet them.

Kaname tilted his head to the side. ''Reika, this is Ichijo Asato, the Head of the Council.''

Putting a lock of her hair behind her ear, the young pureblood princess smiled in a practiced manner. She did not resist as the older male took a hold of her hand, nor did she stop him from pressing his lips against her skin.

Unfortunately, the situation started getting uncomfortable when instead of raising his head as soon as his lips brushed her hand, the man inhaled deeply, his eyes glowing red. Silence reigned the room once he finally deigned to raise his head, irises back to their blue coloring. ''It truly is a pleasure to meet you, Reika-sama. And please, just call me Ichio, everyone else does.''

Next to her something in Kaname seemed to be awakening from its slumber. He might not have cared about her, but the other vampire did have a role to play.

''If that is what you want, Ichio-san.'' No one could blame her for the sharpening of her smile. Neither did anyone say anything about the slight hunch of Asato's shoulders or the way she forced it with her own powers by pushing her aura upon him.

It was the tightening of Kaname's arm around her waist that stopped her from doing anything more drastic.

Perhaps her behavior had been impulsive, but at least she had not required her ancestor's interference.

Reika was many things. A young girl. A Pureblood. A reincarnated soul.

However, there was one thing she was above all those things.

 _Powerful._

Cienna Donati had failed to protect herself and ended up dead as a result.

 _Reika would not._


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is the newest chapter! I hope you'll all enjoy it. Though I do have to warn you that I haven't properly edited this chapter, so there might be some mistakes. Sorry.  
**

 **Thank you for all of your support and nice reviews.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 4_

 _It's All Fun And Games_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _How A Bird Gained Its Freedom_

* * *

 _"Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life."_  
 _― Bob Marley_

 _"It was like when you make a move in chess and just as you take your finger off the piece, you see the mistake you've made, and there's this panic because you don't know yet the scale of disaster you've left yourself open to."_  
 _― Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go_

* * *

Reika started regretting her previous actions not even half an hour later. As liberating as they had been, the consequences just weren't worth the momentary satisfaction she might have felt. Ichijo Asato was a very powerful man in their world and Reika did not doubt that he could severely hurt her.

As such, the girl felt almost like she should actually _apologize._ The last time she had felt like that was when she discovered her powers of manipulation and forced her will upon the poor servant.

And yet the young pureblood knew better than to do something so _foolish._ Showing such a weakness in a room full of vampires was like signing her own death sentence. Besides, her _stupid_ pride wouldn't allow something like that anyway.

The Head of the Council might have been _powerful,_ but he was still just an _aristocrat._

Shiki Senri was the only aristocrat for whom Reika was willing to let go of her pride.

 _(One of her many flaws.)_

That, however, did not stop her from feeling slightly abashed. Not because she had practically _attacked_ another vampire, but because she had lost control of her own temper.

For someone with her inherent powers losing control was very dangerous, not only for the people surrounding her but also for herself. While it wasn't a common occurrence, it wasn't completely unheard of for a pureblood vampire to kill themselves in an uncontrolled fit of rage.

Reika _feared_ what would happen should she die again.

It was hard to keep her emotionless mask from slipping while she felt a mix of anger, shame and trepidation threatening to burst out of her and yet there was no other choice. After losing control once, Reika could not afford to behave so recklessly again.

With all the enemies she already had, the girl could not risk creating more of them.

Her arrogance and pride would cause her enough problems in the future, for now she had to at least try reigning in her more volatile impulses.

''May I have this dance, Reika-sama?'' Asked a childish voice from behind her. The small group of foreign people—Vampires from all over the world had come to meet her.—surrounding Reika immediately became silent.

Turning around, the Kuran princess regarded the familiar looking boy. His blonde hair and blue eyes were of the exact shade as those of his grandfather and she suddenly did not know if she should curse or praise her luck.

Ichijo Takuma had offered her an escape from a conversation she had completely failed to listen to. Unfortunately, the had boy had also garnered the attention of most of the guests, among them his grandfather.

The girl could practically feel the older man's gaze.

Letting go of Kaname's arm—Her ancestor had chosen to accompany her through the whole night. Whether it was to stop her from doing something too stupid or to show a united front, Reika did not know.—, she smiled courteously. ''Yes, Ichijo-san, is it?''

The blond's eyes widened in unconcealed surprise, so he probably had not expected her to know his name. He quickly rectified his blunder and offered her his arm.

It was her second dance that evening, no one else had dared to _'take'_ her from Kaname's side yet. She just thanked whatever god was out there that the boy was actually a good dancer. Having to watch out for his feet to stop them from stepping on her own would have just worsened her mood even more.

Together, they glided gracefully across the whole room, their feet making no sound when they touched the marble floor.

During a twirl the long dress of a Spanish vampire brushed against Reika's side and blinded one of her eyes. In the last second, the Kuran princess managed to get out of the other couples way by pulling herself towards her own partner.

Amusement shone in the young boy's eyes as steered them away from the boisterous Spaniards.

The childlike curiosity and mirth in Takuma's sky blue orbs was such a stark contrast to the stern expression on Ichijo Asato's face that Reika actually had to blink in surprise.

Despite having done nothing to deserve it, the pureblood obviously had the child's respect. There was also some awe in his eyes, but that was probably due to the fact that during his childhood he must have heard many stories about 'pureblood greatness' and their unapproachability.

For a moment, Reika considered the notion of having Takuma as an ally, however, she discarded it almost instantly. Although the boy seemed to be nice enough in the once fictional series and he would have considerable political power in the future, the risks were just too great.

The chances were high that he would chose Kaname or his grandfather above her and Reika could not be certain that she would not let something important slip out of her mouth in his presence. If he decided to be loyal to either of the aforementioned vampires, then he would without a doubt tell them everything she mentioned near him.

Kuran Reika might not have been stupid, but she had no delusions about her intelligence and cunning. No matter how much she hated it, the girl could not even dream of outwitting two a few _millennia_ old beings.

In comparison to them the female Kuran was nothing but a foolish child, playing a game of which she did not know the rules.

With all of her setbacks, she did not need a spy among her 'allies' as well.

Regrettably, this also applied to most other children of her age group. Those who belonged to the 'main cast' would end up most likely on Kaname's side. Senri's friend, Toya Rima, was one of the only few people she could try reaching before her cousin.

Reika's isolated childhood had stopped her from forming true bonds with anyone but her brother and father. Her most influential age mates had definitely been already snagged by her ancestor.

 _'I need to focus', t_ he deceptively young looking female reminded herself of that as the current song slowed down.

Their dance ended abruptly with a small curtsy from the female Kuran and a low bow from her partner. ''It was an honor to dance with you, Reika-sama.''

 _An honor?_

Suddenly, the girl felt very tired of everyone treating her with such a distance. When had been the last time someone other than her brother had not treated her like some higher being?

The answer was easy enough; before Kuran Haruka and Juuri were killed. Their older brother was one of the only two people who treated her with a measure of familiarity. As sad as it was, after her brother, Kuran Rido was the closest companion she had.

Reika, despite enjoying her high status and physical power, was a very _lonely_ child.

In spite of all the people inside her home, she still had only one close confidant. After not even six years in this new world, Kuran Reika was already _tired_ of being a pureblood.

She could easily understand why so many Level A vampires suffered from depressions. Their lives were impossibly _long_ and _lonely._ Without a beloved of the same blood status their existence was very solitary.

Age would take everyone from Reika in the future, while she herself would stay completely untouched by it.

The thought that she would not die unless someone killed her was rather daunting. And even if someone did try, killing a pureblood wasn't easy.

Fact was that when every single person she knew right now finally died, Kuran Reika would still keep on walking. As long as no one killed her or the girl did not commit suicide, she would still be on this cursed earth a few millennia in the future.

If there was one thing she had in this new life, Reika thought _bitterly,_ then it was _time._

''I too enjoyed dancing with such a fine partner.'' She replied automatically after a slightly longer than necessary moment of silence, shaken out of her thoughts by the start of a new melody.

They had stopped their dancing near the entrance of the room, staying out of the way of the other vampires partaking in the next waltz. Even from her current position, Reika noticed a few couples with a _son_ or two regarding her calculatingly and knew that there were many more dances to come. Luckily, Anna had chosen one of her more comfortable pairs of shoes.

''Uhm...'' Takuma begun, pulling her attention back to himself. ''I don't believe you've seen the buffet yet, Reika-sama. If you would like, I could accompany you to it.''

The choice between dancing with more strangers and enjoying some food and more importantly blood wasn't hard to make.

A genuine smile turned her lips upwards as she took his offered arm. Unlike Kaname, the young aristocrat walked with a pace she could easily follow. From what she had observed Takuma shared both her cousin's physical age and height which actually were the only two things both boys seemed to have in common.

There was a childish innocence and freedom in the blond's eyes that neither Kaname nor Reika could ever even hope to copy. Both of their masks lacked perfection in that respect.

''I heard some girls saying that the lemon tart is heavenly.'' Reika commented as they approached a large table decorated with various foods and drinks in the adjoining room.

For a moment a gleeful expression appeared on the boy's face. ''I'll be sure to try it.''

Before reaching their destination the small children had to pass a few round tables which were already occupied by many guests. Vampires greeted her left and right, most even standing up and bowing lowly.

Reika just tried nodding her head at the right time and appearing as if she actually knew who each of them was. Her preparations for this day had only included the names of the most important members of their society and that left her clueless about identity of most of her guests.

It was the exact opposite the other way around. Everyone present knew of who and what Kuran Reika was.

There was one positive aspect of that _fame_ , Reika recognized gleefully as the crowd around the buffet parted before her and allowed her access to the available dishes without having to wait for her turn.

Had she not been in public, the girl might have actually _bounced_ towards the table. As it was, she just gracefully accepted a shiny plate from one of the servants and started putting an unhealthy and rather inappropriate amount of food on her plate.

The lemon tart among it, of course.

Takuma followed her slowly, his face radiating a joy she could not allow to appear on her own visage.

Dishes from different countries were beautifully arranged on large plates. Finger food and a large assortment of desserts.

After Reika finally reached the end of the buffet and asked a servants to bring her a glass of blood, she chose one of the available tables to sit down at. Not waiting for Takuma because he would certainly join her without any prompting, the female Kuran made her way towards one of the empty tables and sat down on a comfortable chair.

As it was the polite thing to do, Reika decided to wait for her knew acquaintance before starting her meal.

On her plate was a mix of foods most would wrinkle their nose at, but the female Kuran quite liked eating salty and sweet things together. Even as _Cienna_ she had loved eating her fries with a vanilla or chocolate milkshake instead of ketchup.

''Here is some B+, Reika-sama.'' Fumiko, one of her handmaidens, put a glass of blood on top of the table.

Nodding to express her appreciation, the female Kuran tilted her head to the left to watch the blond boy uncertainly approaching her. He held a plate filled mostly with sweets in his hand. ''Please bring something for Ichijo-san as well, Fumiko.''

''Hai.'' The dark haired girl scurried away before the Ichijo heir reached the table.

Biting his lip until one of his fangs pierced its skin, Takuma looked at her questioningly. Sighing silently, Reika pointed at the chair next to her. ''You may sit down. Fumiko will bring you some blood soon.''

Following her instructions, the boy sat down and regarded her thoughtfully. Unsure if it was appropriate to question her, he opened and closed his mouth. Reika herself would have been glad to eat in silence as she did not really possess the necessary social skills to have a truly pleasant conversation with a stranger—Her father's decisions had left her slightly socially awkward.—but she felt annoyed enough by the boy's hesitance to speak up to actually do so herself. ''You can ask me whatever it is you want to know.''

''Uhm...'' He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. ''What do you like doing in your free time, Reika-sama?''

Swallowing a piece of her tart, the young pureblood decided that answering that question would not hurt her. ''I enjoy reading.''

''Really?'' Boyish excitement appeared on his face and Reika was reminded of how painfully _young_ Takuma was. Vampires matured very quickly, but that did not change the fact that a child could never truly be an adult. ''I also like reading, manga mostly.''

Something tightened in Reika's chest and her gaze softened once she heard the enthusiasm in the boy's voice. _Cienna's_ sister, _Maria,_ had loved reading manga, oftentimes regaling her with tales of her favorites.

Maria Donati had been a hopeless fangirl with an unfortunate love for the villains of a story.

 _Reika missed her sister._

''Manga?'' A tongue darted out to wet slightly dry lips. ''Which ones?''

Amused, Reika watched how his cheeks colored in embarrassment. ''My favorites are 'The Rising of the Shield Hero' and 'Love so Life'''

The last part was mumbled and Reika immediately remembered one of the many volumes on her, no, _Cienna's_ sister's bookshelves. She was pretty certain that the last manga was a love story about an orphaned girl and a slightly older male.

It was also something that once again reminded her of _Maria._ ''They sound interesting. Perhaps you could lend me some volumes?''

The boy _grinned brightly_ and started to babble excitedly about his two favorite stories.

For once Reika knew that she might have actually said the right thing.

* * *

A week after the ball Reika was allowed to leave her gilded cage for the first time in more than five years.

Dark clouds greeted her once she stepped over the threshold of the Shiki mansion that evening and her hand tightened around that of her brother. A droplet of water landed on her cheek and lighting danced across the sky, forcing Reika to close her eyes.

''A storm is coming. Perhaps we should wait a little longer or go tomorrow?'' Anna suggested as she opened an umbrella and held it over the siblings heads to shield them from the rain.

Narrowing her eyes, Reika said forcefully: '' _No, we're going now.''_

She _could not_ miss this opportunity, not when one word from her cousin could probably trap her in that house once again. At least once, the girl had to see this world at least _once_ in this new life.

Fear tickled her nostrils and Reika realized that she might have lashed out too harshly. The pavement under her feet was fractured slightly and her handmaiden's head was bowed in submission.

''My apologies, Reika-sama.'' The blond whispered softly, her voice filled with shame. ''That was very insensitive of me.''

''It's alright.'' Reika murmured and waved her hand dismissively as she watched a black car driving up to them. Being angry wasn't something the pureblood needed right now—she preferred enjoying her current bout of freedom.

Loosening her hold on Senri, the female Kuran carefully glided down a flight of steps. Rain pelted her coat and braided hair as Anna hurried to catch up with her. Although she knew that something like that would _always_ happen, Reika did not appreciate the disregard shown towards her brother.

By the time their small entourage reached the dark vehicle, a familiar butler was already opening the door for her. He bowed lowly at the waist and whispered a quiet greeting. After nodding in acknowledgment, Reika slipped inside the car and motioned for Senri to come in. Due to his small frame his entrance looked slightly awkward and he somehow managed to sprawl himself onto her lap.

Fortunately, her quick vampire reflexes allowed the girl to catch his head before it hit the second door. Silky hair tickled Reika's palm as her fingers tightened around his curls. Both of them had inherited their father's wavy hair and it also seemed that with each day Senri resembled the man a little more.

Before anything could be said, the boy was pulled off his sisters lap almost harshly. Wide eyed and flushed slightly, Anna checked if the pureblood princess had been harmed and then made sure that Senri was alright as well. All the while the servant girl straightened his ruffled clothes. ''Are you unharmed, Reika-sama?''

Once Senri was securely sitting next her, the young girl sighed in irritation. ''I was never the one in danger. Senri's the one who almost injured his head.''

Naturally, Reika wasn't really surprised by the other girl's behavior. As it was the highest law in their society, Anna putting her on a pedestal, while not appreciated, was still quite expected.

And yet, despite knowing that this was something common in their world, the Kuran was still highly peeved. Faulting the servant for her biased actions was as childish as it was necessary. Though Reika might not have cared about most of the people living with her, she did _love_ her brother.

As such she did not wish for him to be swallowed by her giant shadow.

Anna Rothery would either have to adapt and change her views concerning Reika's brother or she would quickly find herself without a job. Losing her place as a pureblood's handmaiden would shame the American publicly and if her attitude towards Senri did not shift into something more pleasant, Reika would quite happily socially destroy the aristocrat.

''Where to, Reika-sama?'' Asked the driver with the intention to break the small staring match between the two female vampires in his car.

 _How about the nearest airport so that she could finally leave this damned country?_

Reika had to bite her lip to stop herself from saying just that. Instead of fulfilling one of her biggest dreams, the girl just asked the driver to take them to the closest town.

As it turned out their destination, a small town called Niji, was located about forty minutes from her childhood home. Whether it was to hide the unusual things happening around the mansion—At least one earthquake per week in the same area wasn't something most would consider to be normal. Nor would many people actually willingly live in such a place.—or just a coincidence, the long way to any civilization was rather inconvenient.

If something ever happened, neither of Rido's children would have the option of hiding in a crowd of humans who would act as a distraction or a buffer.

Most _sane_ vampires would be hesitant to show their true nature to humans which was a fortunate quality Reika would have been willing to exploit if the situation called for it. Sadly, their home was too far away from any humans because of which she did not have such an option.

As she observed the autumn scenery through the window, Reika realized that she had lost _so much._ For more than five years the girl had been trapped inside a luxurious mansion, deprived of things every child should have some access to.

These eyes of hers had never seen a lake like the one the car had to pass over a bridge, a bridge she would have not been able to identify as such if _Cienna's_ memories were not inside her head. In less than twenty minutes Reika saw a dozen of things she had never seen in this new life. There were trees that could not be found near the Shiki mansion and roadsigns colored with such garish shades that no one would actually dare to use them to decorate the classy Shiki house.

Unbidden, a pair of hands grabbed onto the door as pinkish eyes widened in wonder. Reika angled her body to the right and leaned her forehead against the cool window. With her heightened senses the girl could see a lightly colored squirrel climbing up one of the trees. Its large black eyes blinked twice and a pinkish nose wrinkled adorably.

''What is it?'' There was the click of a car belt being opened and suddenly Reika felt a weight on her back. Senri's soft hair tickled her cheek as he gazed out of the window and tried to find what had captured her attention.

Had they been human, the Kuran might have worried about the safety of their current position. Accidents were something vampires had to worry about, but they weren't as dangerous to them as they were to a human. A pureblood's body could heal almost anything and Senri's heritage gave him a lot of leeway as well. Besides, their two guardians would not allow anything to happen to them. Both Anna and the unknown driver would rather throw themselves in front of any danger coming at the two children than let any harm come to them.

And there was also the fact that due to her telekinesis Reika could stop almost anything in her immediate vicinity from touching her or Senri.

''There was a squirrel on one of the trees, but we've passed it already.'' Answered the young pureblood while pushing her brother back into his seat. Though they weren't in any true danger that still did not mean that they should start tempting fate.

Vampires might have healed better than humans could ever hope to, but cuts and broken bones still _hurt._

''Stop that, Onee-sama.'' Senri pushed her fussing hands away. ''I want to see a squirrel too.''

Horrified, Anna raised her left hand to her mouth and presented the Shiki heir with a stern gaze. ''Senri-sama! Your sister has every right to tell you to sit down again. Unfastening your buckle was a very dangerous thing to do an...''

''She did it as well.'' He pointed out, interrupting whatever Anna wanted to say next.

Admittedly, that was a fair argument, but also one the other vampire would not accept as an excuse.

The American begun talking again after a short pause. ''Reika-sama is a completely _different_ case. She has...''

''Anna,'' Reika frowned, her teeth clenching angrily. _''That's enough.''_

That immediately shut the older vampire up, her mouth snapping close and eyes moving towards the pureblood's face. This time she did not dare to even utter an apology, not after seeing the red glow of Reika's orbs.

''You're new here and that's the only reason why I haven't demanded your removal yet. As my handmaiden you'll either learn to treat my brother with the same respect as you do me or you'll quickly find out what it means to become _redundant.''_ Informed the young girl with an even tone. In the last few weeks she had felt impossibly stressed and this was the first day she was allowed to fully relax. She would not let some servant destroy her peace and quiet.

Anna was nice enough, but she truly needed to learn that there were certain lines she _couldn't cross._

''Of course, Reika-sama.'' The blonde clenched her fingers. ''Whatever you wish for.''

'Vampires are not supposed to get headaches', Reika thought as she massaged her temples and stopped another sigh from escaping her lips. Earlier that day, when Takehiko had told her of the possibility of leaving her childhood home, the Kuran princess had been ecstatic. Freedom was something she had long since stopped believing in—This wasn't _true_ freedom either, but still better than anything she had while Rido was among them.—and getting a taste of it made her feel impossibly _happy._

Regrettably, that did not lessen any of the _fear_ she felt at the prospect of losing that freedom once again. Reika did not think she could bear having even that small amount of liberty being taken away from her.

 _She would rather die than be trapped inside that house for a second time._

Happiness. Fear. _Anticipation._

It was a weird mix of emotions that only worsened when they finally reached their destination. Differently colored houses caught Reika's attention, some of them clearly belonging to rich families, others looking shabby and abandoned.

The shopping district was filled with people— _Humans._ This was the first time _Reika_ saw a human.—, walking along the streets and entering the various shops. Children rode upon their fathers' shoulders or clung to their mothers' hands, vivid raincoats adorning their bodies. A vendor was promoting his ware and trying to attract the attention of the passing pedestrians. He was holding a small tray with samples of different fruits and distributing them. Despite the drizzle, the man stood under the open sky and moved his free hand animatedly.

Reika's finger followed a water droplet that slid down the car's window, her gaze focusing on a small ice cream parlor. Large glass windows revealed an interior that reminded the young pureblood of American dinners from the 60s. Dark red bar stools stood on a checkered floor in front of the mint green counter. The two colors clashed with each other, though surprisingly not in an unpleasant way.

Half of the counter served as a place to eat ones food at, while the other exhibited the available ice cream flavors. There seemed to be at least two dozens of those in all shades of the rainbow and more.

Round tables and comfortable looking chairs filled the rest of the space in the cute parlor. A few pictures decorated the walls and a dark haired woman stood behind the counter, taking orders from one of the various customers.

''Stop the car.'' Ordered Reika when she finished contemplating her options.

Hesitantly, the driver looked at her through the rear-view mirror and scratched his head. ''Reika-sama?''

''I want to eat ice cream.'' The Kuran pointed through the window next to Anna. ''There.''

Nodding in understanding, the nameless driver moved the steering wheel and car to the side. He had to stop once to let another car drive by them, but he soon rested his own vehicle on a free parking slot.

''Well, the place does look nice.'' Anna mused as she opened the door and exited their transport. Afterwards she immediately opened their large blue umbrella and held it ready for both siblings.

Senri slid easily out of the car, taking the female servant's offered hand as to not fall down.

Reika moved across two seats and stretched one of her feet outside. Nervousness made her hesitate and stopped her foot a few millimeters above the ground. Now that the door was open, the vampire princess could hear the bustle of the streets more clearly. A few unpleasant smells assaulted her nose, as well as the sweet tinge of what she guessed to be human blood.

 _What if all this was a dream?_

Maybe once she finally made contact with the outside world Kuran Reika would just wake up in her bed, trapped inside that accursed mansion.

Her breath became more rapid as the blood in her veins was pumped faster through the girl's body. Out of the corner of her eyes Reika could see how Senri and Anna regarded her with worry shining in their orbs.

Before she could change her mind, the pureblood forced her leg to move. It touched the ground gently and was quickly followed by its counterpart.

A near silent sob escaped Reika's lips.

 _She was free._

As quickly as she could move without attracting the wrong scrutiny, the teenager-turned-child jumped out of the car. On their own accord her legs took a step forward and then another one. A third one followed soon afterwards and suddenly she could feel the cool rain on her skin.

Even though a few tears were slipping down her cheek, Reika _laughed joyously._

Clear water touched her tongue and the purest form of _relief_ seemed to push all the burdens off her shoulders. Tiny hands moved upwards to shield her rosy orbs from the continuous rain. They wriggled and caught some of the cool water in their palms.

Fangs gleamed in the dim daylight, visible because of the grin on the young girl's face.

Kuran Reika was finally free.

 _Or as free as she could ever be in this new life.  
_


	5. Chapter 5

_Edited on the 29th of December 2017: I've added an extra scene at the end of this chapter. You can reread the whole thing or just skip the first parts.  
_

 _I wish you all a happy new year!_

* * *

 **This is the shortest chapter I have written for 'To Rule The World', so might I end up putting this chapter and the next one together.**

 **Anyway, sorry for the long wait. There is no explanation for my long absence besides some exams I had to write.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Have fun.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 5_

 _To The Wonder_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _How Life Continued_

* * *

 _"Just because everyone is behaving like a clown, it doesn't mean you have to join the circus."  
― Matshona Dhliwayo_

* * *

Kaname's presence in their home had both its ups and downs. For one, someone continuously took care of Hiromi, never leaving her alone. Nowadays, Reika did not have to look out for the woman and try avoiding her as often as possible. Neither did she have to worry about Senri and what his mother's behavior could do to him.

There was also the point that Takehiko started being more subtle with his attempts to manipulate the siblings. With Kaname in their house, he could not just spout off Pro-Council bullshit.

Reika's newly found freedom was another positive aspect of her cousin's presence, though she could probably have also gained it without him invading her home.

A home in which she could not find any privacy because of him. Although she had always had to be careful with what she did and said inside the Shiki mansion, the young Kuran had never been afraid of what the other occupants of her home could do to her.

The other pureblood's presence alone made her figurative hackles rise and stole any notion of being relaxed from her. She could not find any peace inside her own _home._

 _(...Her_ home _and_ prison, _that was what the Shiki mansion represented...)_

In a radius of a few kilometers—In the whole world, actually—, Reika only had one person she could trust explicitly. ' _Alone'_ was a word that described her perfectly and for some reason Kaname's presence only highlighted that fact.

From the moment he entered the giant mansion, the young girl had been forced to watch each of her steps more carefully. Mistakes were something she could not make anymore and _fear_ became her constant companion once again.

Rido and Kaname were similar to each other in that respect. They both inspired paranoia and anxiety in the once human girl.

In contrary to her father, Kaname also managed to make Reika feel an irrational irritation. He excelled in almost all of their shared lessons. Be it languages, politics or history, the other vampire was infuriatingly _perfect._ Sciences were the only subjects he seemed to have a slight problem in grasping.

And even that was quickly rectified.

The more rational part of her knew that Reika _shouldn't_ compare herself to a being that had lived longer than she could even begin to imagine, but her childish and arrogant side found it galling that he was better in most of the things they were forced to do together.

Biology and music were the two things she trumped him in.

Even though his proficiency in most subjects outranked hers, it did not mean that Reika was _stupid._ The girl was still more advanced in her education than most children her age.

Memories of another life enabled a more in depth understanding concerning most topics.

Besides, her _fear_ by far outweighed any irritation she felt. As such, Reika did not actually feel the need to do anything against the supposed 'slight'.

At the beginning she just silently fumed when Kaname beat her in one of their tasks once again, but after a while the girl learned to accept her defeats. Aggravating her cousin was not an option, so it wasn't as if she could do anything against her current situation.

After some of her anger at his intrusion into _her_ home ebbed away, Reika actually became _almost_ indifferent to their shared lessons and his success.

Months passed by rather slowly and Reika developed a daily routine that allowed her to stay away from Kaname as much as possible. Oftentimes, they were forced to dine together and their education still put a dent in her plan of avoiding him wholly.

Still, after seven months of exposure, Reika got somewhat _used_ to the other vampire.

His constant 'business meetings' and travels made the whole thing just a tad bit easier.

And yet, none of that stopped her from being cautious. The moments of reprieve she received each time her cousin left the mansion only heightened the wariness she felt around the other pureblood.

 _After all, Reika had no idea what he was doing during his time away._

''Onee-sama, you need to stop worrying so much.'' Senri murmured after he retracted his fangs from her flesh. Clothes rustled as he wrapped both of his arms around Reika from behind her, his tongue gently lapping up the residue blood. ''You're giving me a headache.''

In this world there were vampires who would have killed their own beloved for even the smallest taste of Reika's blood. And then there was her brother who complained because she was 'giving him a headache'. More than one vampire would consider his actions to be a sacrilege.

Especially because he did not drink as much of her blood as he was allowed to.

''Someone has to worry about our future.'' Said Reika while taking a hold of her brother's hand. It was slightly warmer than her own appendage, so it felt rather pleasant against her cool skin.

The boy tutted, tightening his arms around her and blowing some air onto her cheek. It smelled of her own blood. ''You worry _too much.''_

''Do I?'' She took a hold of his left foot and slid the fingers of her other hand across its underside, receiving soft giggles in return. Tiny toes wiggled as Senri tried to move his leg away from her.

Reika tilted her head to the side, observing how her brother's eyes closed tightly and his face gained a red tint due to his incessant laughter. Pity wasn't something the girl showed often, but when she heard her brother hacked laughter and half-hearted attempts of begging for mercy, Reika decided that just this once she could be _nice._

Promptly, she let go of Senri's foot and allowed him to scramble a few inches away from her. Before he could recover from her previous attack, though, Reika turned around and plastered her body onto his.

Already used to this behavior, Senri did not protest when he felt her arms slithering around his waist. He just gently petted the top of his sister's head once she finally settled it comfortably upon his stomach.

''Do you think we could go to the circus tomorrow?'' Questioned Senri after a short moment of silence.

During their last trip into town the siblings had come upon some advertising posters of a traveling circus. The glittering paper had immediately caught their attention, but it had been the pictures on it that attracted Senri's interest. The young boy had been enamored with the colorful costumes the acrobats wore and the huge elephant one of them was sitting upon.

''Well,'' She had to stop to consider the wording of her next statement. Hope was a very brittle thing and Reika did not want to see her brother in a sad state. ''I can ask Takehiko-san if he would be willing to go with us.''

Her little brother grinned brightly. ''Great! He won't say no to you.''

That was most likely true. Although Takehiko belonged to the very few people that actually ever denied her anything, he still did it very rarely. An excursion to the circus should not be a problem.

And if it was, Reika could always play the birthday card.

(...not even Takehiko would deny her a birthday wish...

...

...it did not matter that her birthday was in more than four months...

...

...

...and if it did, Reika could always _help_ the man make a choice...)

 _When it came to persuading Shiki Takehiko, there was nothing to worry about._

* * *

''Come, Onee-sama!'' Exclaimed Senri as he pulled her towards the entrance of the circus. They had to push their way through a thick crowd of humans, which might have been harder if it were not for Reika's subtle use of her telekinetic powers.

As they neared the booths were the circus tickets were being sold, she had to slow her brother down. Senri would have probably just ran inside, ignoring the fact that he actually had to pay for his entrance. ''We need to buy tickets first.''

''Do we?'' He questioned with a cute pout on his lips. ''Can't Uncle and Kaname-onii-sama take care of that?''

Reika shook her head and patted the younger boy's head gently. ''No. Besides we've already fought our way to the front of the queue, so we might as well take care of it.''

Taking care of it was easier said than done, considering that not many people appreciated it when someone started queue jumping. Not many had the gall to actually stop them from doing so either, an instinctual part of them feeling that there was something _dangerous_ about the two small children.

And yet, there was an exception to everything. This time it was a reckless teen with a fake blonde hanging onto his arm.

''Oi, it's our turn now!'' He shouted over the bustling crowd. His voice broke in the middle of his statement and an embarrassed flush colored his cheeks.

A tiny part of Reika felt like a small kid caught with its hand in a cookie jar. It probably had to do with the fact that she was behaving like an ass. However, another and bigger part of her felt that it was her _right_ to do this. She was a _pureblood_ and until now no one had ever dared to raise his or her voice against her.

This whole situation was a truly novel experience.

Shuffling her feet and lowering her head to hide the vicious sneer on her face, Reika forced her voice to sound demure. ''Ah...I...I didn't...we're just so excited to see the camels.''

She raised her gaze and met the eyes of his date, biting her lip in a seemingly nervous manner.

The older human girl looked down at the two siblings and her expression softened immediately. Hitting her date's ribs with her elbow, the blonde smiled gently. ''It's alright, sweetie. Just let them go before us, Hinata.''

The lanky boy sputtered. ''We've been waiting for half an hour and now you want to let some kids before us because the girl batted her eyelashes at you?''

Rolling her eyes in irritation, Reika almost tsked due to her annoyance. She really did not want to argue with some stupid kid, so she decided to _bat her eyelashes_ at him. '' _Sir, please just let us through.''_

Her tone was unmistakable and it did not even take the teen a second to obey her. He just motioned with his left arm and told her to buy their tickets before them.

Compulsion could sometimes be such a useful talent.

A talent she used not even a minute later when the clerk did not want to sell them a ticket without the presence of an adult.

Being a child was truly annoying and Reika could not wait for the time when she would finally be considered legally an adult.

''How many do you need, dear?'' The female clerk asked after Reika _assured_ her that she was indeed responsible and old enough to buy a circus ticket from her.

Slowly, the female Kuran put some money on the counter. ''Four, please.''

After counting the money, the middle-aged woman put four slips of paper into her outstretched hand. ''Have fun, dearies.''

Together, the young siblings uttered a 'thank you' and left the booth. Manners were something valuable among their kind.

(...they were just another mask that hid the monsters beneath their skins...)

Finding their companions wasn't hard. Despite the fact that the loud chatter and many different smells surrounding them numbed their superb senses, Reika still managed to spot Kaname near the entrance.

In the last few months—Almost a year had passed since the day the ancestor had appeared on her doorstep.—Reika had become very familiar with the feel of his aura. Even within such a huge crowd, Kaname seemed to call out to her. His power was immeasurable and enticing in ways it should not be.

Especially when one considered the fear it could so easily evoke in her.

''Can we go inside now, Uncle?'' Senri asked once they arrived in front of the other vampires.

''Of course.'' Takehiko reached out with his hand, his palm tilted upwards. ''Just give me the tickets. We don't want to lose them, huh?''

Instantly, Senri handed over the small pieces of paper he had taken from her on their way to Kaname and Takehiko to his uncle. Due to his careless handling of them, they were rather wrinkled at the edges.

''Don't go too far away from me and make sure to stay at your sister's side, Senri.'' Those were the Shiki patriarch's instructions for Reika's brother. From what she gathered, he also said something to her, but she did not bother to listen as her attention was caught by the look on Kaname's face.

Like always, he donned his mask of innocence and politeness. And yet, there also seemed to be the slightest bit of curiosity in his eyes.

It was then that she remembered that this was the first time she had forced her will upon someone in front of him. The first time he had seen one of her _cruel_ sides.

(...she _should_ have felt disgusted with herself...)

Didn't Kaname belong to those purebloods who rarely used this particular power? Reika half remembered something about Juri being very pro-human and perhaps even against many of the abilities that made A Level vampires into what they were.

Did that all matter to Kaname? It wasn't as if Juri had truly been his mother.

Besides, the young Kuran doubted that her ancestor had survived the last ten millennia without using compulsion. Such a thing seemed to be highly unlikely, maybe even impossible.

And it wasn't as if he could blame what seemed to be a child for using her inherent powers. If he did not like her behavior, then he should not have agreed to coming here with them during dinner.

''Go on then.'' Takehiko motioned down a highly populated path with his right hand.

Senri did not need to be told twice. He took a hold of her hand and started dragging her through the mass of people.

The black shoes adorning her feet would not survive their adventure unscathed.

Pushing some people slightly to the side to make sure that they did not bump into her brother, Reika marveled at the beauty of the outside world. After having spent more than five years trapped inside a house, she sometimes found herself completely overwhelmed when she realized that she was finally _free._

 _(...or as free as she could ever be in this world...)_

Senri rattled her arm and pointed at a vendor who was selling sweets, among them cotton candy. The smile on his face made her become aware of how much time had passed since she had seen him so _happy_ and _carefree._ ''Look! Look at all the things he's selling.''

Reika tilted her head to the side. ''You want some cotton candy? I still have a few yen left.''

Her brother nodded his head eagerly and decided to follow her previous example by pushing his way through to the front of the queue. It would have been hypocritical of her to point out that well mannered people did not behave in such a way, so Reika did not even bother. She just made sure to shut up any idiot who looked like he wanted to argue with Senri about his actions with a harsh push of her aura and payed for whatever her brother decided to order.

She was pleased to note that he got for them two sticks of cotton candy. The sticky sweetness made Reika feel a little nostalgic as it reminded her of the times she had been to the circus with her _sister._

It reminded her of her life as _Cienna._

(...although she had been taught to look down upon humans, a part of her would always long for the time when she had been one of them...

...

...and that part would only grow through the following years...)

''Here.'' He pushed the stick into her hand and Reika noted how his face was already dirty from all the sugar. Senri's lips glistened from it and a few strands of his hair were glued to his left cheek.

Smiling, Reika squeezed his hand in appreciation and lowered her head to nibble on the cotton candy. The pinkish cloud tasted just as she remembered and for a moment her chest burned painfully.

''Ne, Onee-sama.'' Senri tugged on the sleeve of her coat. ''Let's look around. Maybe we will find some of the animals.''

And then he just grabbed her hand, squeezed it softly in reassurance and started to slowly lead her down the crowded path. The young Shiki heir had always been very perceptive, especially when it came to his sister and her moods.

Not for the first time, Reika was thankful for this attribute and the distraction he offered her because of it.

She decided to focus on the present rather than on the past.

There were colorful lamps on each side of the track, they glowed brightly in the darkness of the night and seemed to make their surroundings more magical then they actually were. Large bright tents could be found on both of her sides, their openings flapping open when one of the performers decided to leave the warmth they certainly offered.

A soft tune tickled her ears and made her smile at how typical it was.

For the next half an hour, the two siblings continued searching for the stables without a result. They had to stop soon afterwards because a loud announcement informed them that the main show would begin soon.

With Takehiko's help, their small group found four good seats in front row of the biggest tent. The show started with a few acrobats showing their talent on the tightrope and then switched to a woman performing on a horse.

More than once Senri leaned forward in his seat and fell almost out of his seat, his eyes shining with delight all the while.

Unbidden, Reika's face mirrored his expression. A childish glee colored her eyes and made them seem lighter than they normally were. Her grin was infectious.

(...She never noticed Kaname watching her...

...

...a thinly veiled _curiosity_ and _intrigue_ hiding in his age-old eyes...)

The siblings' laughter mingled that night and Reika did not think that she had ever heard such a beautiful sound before.

* * *

''As you already know, the Kuran family consists of a long line of kings and queens. They ruled over our kind for the better part of our existence and originated from the Ancestor whose name you share, Kaname-sama.'' Their history teacher droned, admiration lightning his whole face.

Reika actually had to bite back a snort. She could not comprehend how her supposed cousin could sit there with a straight face while the aristocrat practically worshiped him. Hayato might not have known who Kaname truly was, but he still admired him for his especially _pure_ heritage.

Reika's own blood had been tainted by her Hio ancestry. Or at least that seemed to be what some vampires believed. Not that the female Kuran truly cared about her slightly less incestual origins. It was probably better that way anyway. Rido was crazy enough as it was. Reika did not want to know what further incest would have done to his offspring.

Though the girl also had to admit that she had no idea if incest had the same repercussions for vampires as it did for humans. For all she knew, it might have made them all just more powerful. And even if that wasn't true, there certainly weren't any physical repercussions purebloods had to suffer because of all the inbreeding.

''Kuran Noburo was the last King we had. He personally abolished the monarchy and created what know today as the Vampire Council. We will talk about the events leading up to this abolishment during our next lesson.'' The teacher pushed a paper with their grandfather's name written on it across the table. ''Today, we will just talk about the most important historical figures of those times. Do you know any of those, Reika-sama?''

Thinking of the obvious answer, Reika nodded her head. ''Well, as you've already said, there was the King Noburo. Another important figure was his sister-wife Shirona as well as today's Head of Council, Ichijo Asato.''

''Yes, that's right.'' Hayato smiled encouragingly, turning his gaze towards her cousin. ''Kaname-sama, do you know of anyone else?''

There were many people the older Kuran could mention, though Reika feared for a moment that he would actually bring their parents into this. The girl was not ashamed of her heritage as it was not something she could have controlled even if she had wanted to. This, however, did not mean that she enjoyed talking about her _father_.

Besides, the man had killed Kaname's supposed parents and talking about them all would certainly lead to a very awkward and unpleasant conversation.

In this world, there was no one Reika feared as much as she feared Kuran Rido. Kaname might have been more powerful and his presence more frightening, but it was her father who had tormented her for _years._

Among all the things she did not want to do, talking about her father was almost the highest on that list.

''From what I know, there were important figures among the hunters, Cross Kaien being the most prominent one of them. Then there was also Gima Hisoka, an aristocrat from our grandparents court,'' answered Kaname, his posture relaxed and belying the tension surrounding them.

Hayato hummed happily, standing up from his chair to walk towards the chalkboard behind him. Then he started writing down the names of the people they had mentioned, explaining some of their importance all the while. ''Gima Hisoka was a Level B aristocrat, the daughter of a pureblood and another Level B vampire. She was also one of the biggest and most influential monarchy supporters. Even after the monarchy was abolished, she still continued fighting for it as a high-ranked member of the council.''

A french name joined the Japanese ones. ''Due to the influence of her French pureblood mother, Maelee Dufort, Gima Hisoka grew up believing in the pureblood supremacy. This belief led to the creation of the anti-council movement of the 1800s. Gima-sama was the leader of this movement as well as the vampire with one of the highest kill counts in these violent times.''

History had always interested Reika, even in her previous life, so she was listening with rapt attention. The Vampire Knight manga had been so focused on the teenage drama and angst that it had completely disregarded the truly interesting aspects of this world. This world's history was heavily influenced by the existence of vampires, though it was her new kind's past that was the truly interesting one.

Ten millennia ago the first vampires were born to human parents. Their survival was secured by the ability to take energy from their caretakers through touch. By the time they had to properly feed, they were already strong enough to take down whole mortal armies. Because of their inexperience, many Level E vampires were created and even more humans killed. The world was wrecked by chaos as vampirism spread over the continents.

Humans, quite understandably, started to fear the monsters that had suddenly appeared. The creation of the Hunters Association followed a particularly bad decade. Back then it wasn't called like that and although the hunters liked to deny it, they were nothing but weak humans at the beginning of their time. Reika guessed that it was the interference of some purebloods that helped them reach their fullest potential and even more.

Not everything about those times was clear nowadays. Many vampires were still trying to find out how they came to exist. Did a genetic mutation lead to their creation? Some higher being's intervention?

Reika was as puzzled over this as the rest of the world and she doubted that someone would find an answer to that question anytime soon.

The one thing that fascinated the female Kuran the most about the history here was how precisely recorded it was. Vampires, whether they were purebloods or aristocrats, lived for many centuries or even millennia. They recorded both the happenings of the human and vampire societies. If Reika truly wanted to, she could find a Viking who would happily tell her about his early life. She could go to one of the biggest libraries on earth and read diaries or documents that had been preserved for many centuries and were normally not available to just anyone. Her pureblood status had many advantages.

''Gima Hisoka, why wasn't she executed for practically starting a rebellion?'' Reika decided to ask the question that had been bugging her since their teacher mentioned the woman's involvement with the council. ''Was her influence truly so great that it could excuse rebelling against purebloods? And let's not forget that our grandparents weren't just any purebloods; they were the ruling monarchs.''

Hayato paused his tale to answer her question. ''Gima Hisoka was a very intelligent and cunning woman. She knew when the time came to abandon the so called sinking ship.'' He paused. ''Normally, she should have been executed like many of the other rebels had been, however, her own bloodline, quick actions and status as a pureblood's mistress saved her from that fate. There were some individuals who claimed that her survival had only been secured by the fact that she had been the Beloved of Kuran Kazuhiko, your great-uncle and older brother of both Kuran Noburo and Kuran Shirona. Had he not died before his coronation, then Gima Hisoka might have been a queen.''

Slowly, Reika nodded her head. ''I see.''

''Some rumors claim that before meeting Gima-san, Kazuhiko had been involved in a polyamorous relationship with his two younger siblings.'' Kaname interrupted before their teacher could continue his lesson. ''He might have been the Beloved of his brother and sister. That could be another reason for why they showed mercy towards a traitor.''

It might have sounded like gossip or the plot of some bad teenage drama, but in their society there weren't many things more important than the relationships between vampires. In a world where only the blood of your Beloved could sate your hunger, love meant _everything._ Even a king could not be expected to act rationally when he was faced with a choice like Noburo had been. All of her kind's actions were easily influenced by _love_ and _bloodlust._

 _Not even Reika would be exempt from that._

* * *

 **Extra!:**

 **Many of you have wondered what Kaname thinks about Reika, especially after reading this chapter. Some have even asked for Kaname's POV. I probably won't be writing one for a while, but I thought that an explanation would be nice.**

 **So, Kaname is obviously intrigued by Reika's behavior. He has noticed that there is something _different_ about her and that she is often pretending to be something that she is not. Kaname also finds the differences between her and Yuki to be slightly jarring. While Yuki is gentle and innocent, Reika seems to be her exact opposite.**

 **Although they look somewhat similar, Reika possesses none of the childish innocence that Yuki has. She does not mind using her inherent powers and manipulating other people with them. Though she does have a soft side when it comes to her brother.**

 **Kaname just finds her behavior slightly intriguing and puzzling because despite the way she acts, Reika is still physically a young child.**

 **And as to Reika, she is slowly getting used to her 'cousin's' presence, but that does not mean that she doesn't fear him. She does.**

 **That's it for now. I think.**

 **nariai**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all for your support! It was really helpful to hear that none of you actually think that I am plagiarizing anything. And sorry for my slightly too emotional reaction.**

 **Recommendation!** **: I have published a new story once again. Sometimes, I just can't help myself. Anyway, it is a Self-Insert into Harry Potter. If you are interested in that fandom, then try it out.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 6_

 _I Had A Dream About A Burning House_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where She Learned Something New_

* * *

 _"Nobody's perfect. We're all just one step up from the beasts and one step down from the angels."_

 _― Jeannette Walls, Half Broke Horses_

 _"In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart."_

 _― Anne Frank_

* * *

Reika was seven years old and she had no idea how she always got herself in such _unfortunate_ situations.

Apparently, accidentally causing earthquakes was a very bad thing which meant that after seven years in this new world, someone had finally decided that she needed to properly learn controlling her powers. And what better teacher was there than her _dearest_ older cousin.

The girl could understand the logic of their choice, though that did not make her like it. Considering that the other pureblood was an Ancestor and had supposedly been taught control by his parents, Kaname was obviously more proficient at using their inherent powers. They both also had a similar set of abilities due to their shared heritage. Another important aspect was that alongside her, he was one of the last living purebloods.

An aristocrat might have been capable of teaching her, but there were none that could have contained her powers should they go ballistic. Kaname could stop anything too bad from happening by using his own powers to subdue hers.

It wasn't something Reika would enjoy and yet it was a necessary evil. The girl did not want to harm her brother accidentally and she could not sent him away from the mansion each time she trained.

''If you want this to work, you need to concentrate.'' A gust of wind ruffled her hair and steered her attention towards Kaname. The air felt cool against her skin, but it was not its temperature that made goosebumps appear on her skin. Reika could feel the Ancestor's essence manipulating it, manipulating _nature._

Something like should not have been possible.

''I'd like to say that I'm trying my best, but we both know that would be a lie,'' uttered Reika as she forcefully stopped herself from sneering at the other vampire. ''Not everyone has the privilege of having responsible adults who are willing to support and help you advance in their life. Unlike you, I've spent almost eight years without having to truly control myself, so please excuse me if I don't advance as fast as you wish.''

It was a rather childish response, though it did hold a lot of truth in it. Reika had the misfortune of being reborn as a madman's daughter. Rido never cared about teaching her control or even how to protect herself. After all, why should he show her something that could be later used against him?

Besides, the girl disliked how each time when she used a little too much of her powers, Kaname would push his own aura upon her. The whole thing was very unpleasant and made her feel like a cornered animal.

Still, despite her arrogance, Reika could see her own faults very clearly. Thus, it was not hard to recognize that what she had said had been rather insensitive. Mentioning Kaname's supposed parents in such a brisk manner was something she should not have done. Had her brother's uncle heard he, then he might have actually scolded her. Especially because there was nothing to envy in this matter about her cousin. Unlike hers, his parents were _dead._

(...internally, a small part of her envied him even for that...

...

...how would her life have been like if Rido had never appeared in Shizuka's home...

...

...

... if he had never managed to push his believes into Senri's mind? Perhaps, the siblings would have actually managed to be truly _happy_ if the man had never been a part of their lives...)

Sighing softly, Reika shook her head to clear it from her unpleasant thoughts. ''I'm sorry, that was uncalled for.''

The older pureblood nodded his head in acceptance and once again manipulated the wind in the garden. Flower petals and leaves flew in the air, dancing haphazardly all around them. Then as suddenly as it all started, everything literally _stopped._ The wind ceased blowing around them and the petals and leaves just floated peacefully in the air. Gravity did not manage to force their return onto the ground. ''It's alright. Perhaps the time has come for us to try something new. I'll keep everything in the air.'' He he pointed upwards with his hand. ''You just have to take over for me whenever you're ready. It will cost you more if you have to overpower me to make one of the leaves or petals float and you will also find out how much pressure you need to use. When you manage to do it flawlessly, we will once again try the previous exercise.''

Deciding that she had done enough to antagonize her cousin that day, Reika took a deep breath to relax herself and tried to smile encouragingly. She knew from experience that Kaname could spent hours doing the same thing until it was completely perfect and she did not want to sit in the garden when the sun started rising once again. Unlike her brethren, Reika liked the idea of daylight, but that did not make the sun's rays feel any more pleasant against her skin. Still, even the easily gained sun burn did not deter her completely from going outside during the day.

Reika had once been human, thus a part of her would always be partial to the light instead of the dark.

After she zeroed her gaze on one of the leaves, the female Kuran concentrated on the warmth inside of her body. A tingling sensation always accompanied the use of her powers. Reika could feel how they traveled over her own skin and interacted with her environment.

 _She could feel the exact moment it collided with Kaname's ancient aura._

Instead of flinching or backing up like she almost always did when confronted by her ancestor's _might -_ And wasn't that just a ridiculous way to describe Kaname's strength? It sounded like something villains used to describe themselves, and yet there was no denying that this noun fit perfectly when connected with the first Kuran to ever exist. - Reika _pushed_ in the same manner she had used during their first meeting.

She was instantly met with resistance, but it was much weaker than it could actually be. Just like always, it was startling to notice the difference between their power levels and the amounts of control they both possessed. Considering how powerful her cousin felt, Reika wondered how he managed to stop himself from killing everyone who crossed his path.

It was a wonder, really.

Warmth prickled against her skin as her own aura mixed with Kaname's and Reika had never felt something as frightening and exhilarating before. The moment was over within a second and then only the smallest portion of her power was allowed to escape her body, the rest being pushed back by the other pureblood. Forcing herself to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that accompanied this exercise, the younger Kuran focused on the small amount of her power that was allowed to trickle towards one of the flower petals. The positive aspect of this exercise was that she finally learned how much power she needed to use to move small objects such as leaves. That would not help her too much when it came to control, but at least she had a goal now.

Besides, there was something very satisfactory about seeing one of the yellow petals moving upwards at her command.

''That was good.'' Kaname's lips tilted upwards into the smile that made him look like a _real_ child. It was a dangerous gesture because it managed to fool everyone surrounding him, even Reika. ''Now you just have to manage this without my assistance.''

Rolling her eyes, the girl grumbled in annoyance.

* * *

The Toya family belonged to the less influential aristocratic families, though it was still pretty powerful when compared to many others. They hadn't had a pureblood in the family for a long time, thus it was no wonder that they tried to seek out an alliance with the Shiki clan. Senri might not have been a pureblood, but he was still the son of Kuran Rido who in turn was the first born child of the previous vampire king. When one considered that, then even the madness that seemed to be a permanent presence in both of her brother's parents lost all of its meaning.

A marriage between Senri and one of their daughters was the best thing that could happen to them, especially when one considered the favor Reika showed her brother. She tried to hide it to the best of her capabilities, but it was still clear that Kuran Reika _loved_ her brother. And that was something no vampire would hesitate to use.

The fact that Senri and Toya Rima ended up being the best of of friends was just a bonus no one had expected.

And now here she was, sitting in the middle of a girlish room, trying to ignore the silence that was caused by her arrival. Rima had moved up from her spot on the floor to greet Senri. Once she saw her though, the other girl immediately froze in place. Less than two seconds later Rima performed a perfect albeit rigid bow.

Afterwards the three children settled on the floor. A few magazines were scattered around them and it was painfully clear that both Rima and Senri were only pretending to read them.

''So, I heard you were the one who introduced my brother to poky.'' Reika never did claim to be a good conversationalist.

The young aristocrat looked confused. ''Uhm, yes.''

There was a moment of silence during which they all stared at each other.

Rima fidgeted uncomfortably.

Senri looked rather exasperated.

Reika smiled, amusement lightening her eyes. She could not help but think that the young girl was adorable. Despite being clearly severely discomfited by Reika's presence, Rima still had enough manners and respect to not say anything against the intruder in her room.

Though, the pout on her lips made what she thought about Reika very clear.

''Well, instead of just sitting here in silence, we could do something,'' proposed the pureblood. ''How do you normally spent your time when Senri comes to visit you?''

Hesitantly, the younger girl met her gaze. ''We like to explore the gardens. If we ask the servants, they could prepare some food for us before we go.'' Rima paused. ''Only if you want to, of course, Reika-sama.''

''It's not as if we've got anything better to do.'' Smiling, Reika nodded her head. ''Besides, a picnic does sound nice right now.''

''Great!'' Senri exclaimed in an unusual bout of enthusiasm. ''Why don't we just go before this situation gets any weirder.''

While Rima stared at Senri with something akin to shock, the older Kuran found that she was enjoying this visit to the Toya mansion more and more. Her brother was probably the only one who would dare to call anything that had to do with her _weird_ of all things. It was very refreshing to have even just one person in her life who sometimes managed to talk back to her or even just tell her what they truly felt.

''Alright. How about we ask one of the servants to just bring us some food when it's finished. Until then we can look for a nice place in the garden.'' Although it sounded like a proposal, Reika knew that neither of the present children would argue against it. Senri because he just wanted to get out and Rima due to the societal differences between them.

After standing up, Reika dusted off her dress slightly. Then she linked her arm through her brother's and allowed him to lead her out of the room.

The Toya mansion was just as lavishly decorated as their own home. There were less portraits of their ancestors on the walls, but that was only because their family did not go as far back as the Shiki clan.

Along the way to their destination, the children came across a female servant. As their host Rima informed the teen about their desire for food and where she should bring it when it was finished.

''Hai, Rima-sama,'' said the servant. From her smell, Reika guessed that she was a Level C vampire. ''Shall I bring some blankets as well?''

Nodding her head, Rima uttered an affirmation. ''Yes.''

The rest of their short journey to the gardens was rather unspectacular. With bored eyes, the female Kuran observed her surroundings. Luxury was something she had gotten used to in this life, so it did not manage to awe her anymore.

Arriving in the gardens had the exact opposite effect on Reika. The girl had thought that the outside of her own home was beautiful, but the Toya grounds actually managed to steal her breath.

Colorful flower beds covered most of the grounds. They ranged from tulips to roses and hyacinths and made the garden appear almost magical. Wistfully, Reika noted that there were even a few red spider lilies not too far away from her.

They were flowers that supposedly grew in hell and directed the souls of the dead to their next reincarnation. Legends said that if a soul followed a path along which those flowers grew, it would never get lost in the afterlife.

''Reika-sama?'' the soft childish voice jarred her out of her thoughts. ''Would you like to rest in the shade of that tree?''

Gazing at the tree at which the young Toya was pointing with a finger, Reika nodded her head in agreement and started the short trek towards it.

They settled down next to each other, Senri putting his head onto his sister's lap.

In some ways, their time together was very idyllic. It was filled with silence and meaningless chatter, a certain awkwardness surrounding anything they said. Although Rima clearly wasn't comfortable in her presence, Reika still found their afternoon rather _peaceful._

 _Altogether, there wasn't much peace in Kuran Reika's life._

* * *

Reika was nine years old when she saw a Level E vampire for the first time.

Together with her brother and cousin, she had gone into town that day for some summer shopping. It was still light outside and Reika had not thought that they required a guardian to follow each of their steps. As such, Chinatsu stayed in the car, while the three children bustled through the small shopping district.

At some point, the two siblings were separated from their cousin, though they did not worry too much about that. If the older vampire wanted to find them, then he would do so without a problem.

The female Kuran did not mind being left alone with her brother. She might have been physically just a child, but mentally she was much older and very much capable of taking care of her younger sibling.

Or at least that was what she thought until a stranger snatched Senri away from her. The whole thing happened very fast and managed to shock her for an instant. One moment Reika's little brother was at her side, the next someone was forcefully pulling him down an alley.

Instinctively and without even an ounce of hesitation, the female Kuran followed what she quickly guessed to be a vampire.

 _No human could move that fast._

Not even that realization stopped her from pursuing her obviously frightened brother.

 _Reika would not abandon the only family she had in this world._

In many other situations, Reika would have acted like a selfish coward. This time around she could not afford it. She loved Senri too much to lose him.

No, she could never abandon her baby brother.

(...if only she had known _what_ exactly was awaiting her in that alley...)

Once she finally managed to catch up with her brother's assailant, Reika came upon a sight she never expected to see. A man, though she wasn't sure if he could really be called that, was holding Senri above the ground, his clawed hand wrapped tightly around the small boy's throat. Saliva was dripping down the creatures chin as his crazed eyes were fixed upon her brother's pulse.

Sharp fangs became visible as what Reika now realized to be a Level E vampire opened his mouth. Even from afar she could smell his putrid scent. This wasn't much of a surprise when one considered the state of his dress. Ragged and bloody pants adorned his legs, while his upper-body was covered by only a few tatters.

Reika's observation was cut short when the creature decided to lean its head forward. Stricken, the girl watched him sniffing Senri's neck.

She knew that she had to do something _now._ As a pureblood she theoretically had enough power to defeat the monster before her.

(... _theoretically..._

 _..._

 _...what a joke...)_

And yet, she did not trust herself not to harm her brother in the process. With just one wrong move, the girl could easily break the other child's neck.

Unfortunately, Reika wasn't sure if compulsion would work. After all, if the vampire was too far gone to properly understand her commands, he could not follow them.

Seeing the man open his jaw widely, the Kuran acted on impulse. She rolled up the sleeve that covered her right arm, raised her wrist towards her mouth and _bit_ it.

The reaction was instantaneous. As rivulets of blood dripped down her hand and onto the ground, the smell of her blood permeated the air and the Level E vampire's head snapped in her direction.

If possible, the crimson in eyes began to glow even brighter with each measured step he took in her direction. At first, he seemed almost hesitant, but that changed within seconds.

There was no time to evade. One second he was standing a few meters away from her and the next instant the creature was holding her against the brick wall of the alley, his tongue sliding against the skin of her arm.

Frightened, Reika let go of the control she had over her powers and pushed them against her assailant.

It did not work out as she wanted it to. Instead of pushing the other vampire away from her, _they severed his whole arm from his body._

Blood spurted out of the crude wound, coloring Reika's whole side red. It seeped through her clothes and touched her skin. Something inside of her felt disgusted by the thought of being touched by such impure blood.

(...another part of her...

...

... _the human part..._

...

...

...was stricken and horrified by the fact that she had just _mangled_ someone's body...)

The thing - it could not be called human anymore - did not even react. It only tightened its hold on her shoulder and viciously bit down on her wrist.

Reika cried out in pain.

In response to her panic and hurt, the earth underneath them begun to tremble and a harsh wind blew against their bodies.

Her situation looked really bleak. Should she manage to successfully push her assailant away from herself now, Reika could easily lose her hand if not her entire arm due to his unforgiving hold.

Stupidly, she started to thrash her body in despair. His jaw tightened some more around her wrist, causing Reika to cry out even louder. Somewhere in the background, Senri was screaming loudly.

The girl could only hope that he would stay as far away from them as possible. It wasn't safe in her immediate vicinity.

As if to prove her point, her powers leashed out once again, cutting the vampire's stomach deeply. Whether it was due to his own strength and determination or her blood that continued flowing into his mouth, the creature just did not let go of her.

Additionally, the freshly inflicted wound even started to heal.

 _Tears_ streamed down Reika's cheeks as her vision blurred slightly.

Her whole arm throbbed and the girl actually _screamed_ in pain when her shoulder was dislocated due to the vampire's tight hold on her.

''Stop, stop, _stop,''_ the pureblood tried to command unsuccessfully.

Was this how she was going to die _again?_ Killed by something completely _inferior_ to her?

Blood splattered her face once again. This time it was not her who harmed the monster, neither was it a wound that her blood could ever heal for him.

Relieved, Reika watched the hand protruding out of the Level E vampire's chest. It was small and childish and as familiar as the powerful aura suddenly covering the whole area.

With a mix of horror and alleviation, the young girl watched the vampire before her shatter into thousands of pieces, his remaining particles dancing in the air.

Without anyone to hold her upwards, she slumped forward, though her body never hit the ground.

 _Kaname_ caught her before that could happen.

 _Never before had she felt so glad to see the Kuran ancestor._

''There is nothing more sinful than spilling our blood.'' Whether it was an explanation for his actions or a reprimand for her own did not matter at the moment because for the first time in years Kuran Reika allowed a _sob_ to pass her lips. With her still functioning arm, she took a tight hold of her cousin's jacket. Before she could properly think through her actions, Reika pushed her body against his in a mockery of a hug.

At that moment, she did not care about who the boy in front of her was or what he would do in the future. The only thing she did care about was the safety he provided her and the power that now blanketed both her and Senri.

''Thank you,'' whispered the small girl so softly that it was barely perceptible.

Had she been in her right mind, Reika might have taken a moment to ponder the way his posture seemed to soften at those words. The way his hand carded through her hair once and then twice.

As it was, she just leaned her whole body against his, not having the strength to stay upright by herself. At some point, her cousins hands took a hold of her uninjured arm and waist respectively and pushed her a few centimeters away from him.

Glowing eyes slid over her form until they finally landed on her injured shoulder and wrist. ''I have to relocate your shoulder and then take care of the bleeding.''

And that's exactly what he did. As gently as he could, Kaname pushed her shoulder back into place. Afterwards he ripped of a piece of his own shirt and wrapped it securely around her wrist. During the first procedure, Reika could not stop herself from howling in pain. During the second only a few whimpers escaped her lips.

Due to how much blood the Level E vampire had taken from Reika, her wounds weren't healing as fast as they should. It had been a long time since she had had last to worry about any injuries. Normally, they healed within seconds. This time it would take longer.

A hand gripped her own tightly and her attention was immediately directed towards her brother. Despite all that she was feeling, Reika's expression softened when she noticed her brother's tear-stained face. ''Senri...''

He threw his arms around her, completely ignoring the way she winced in pain. For once there was no one there who would try to stop him and Reika would not either. She used her healthy arm to hug her brother and looked over her shoulder towards their cousin.

Her lips quivered as she once again whispered: ''Thank you.''

Their eyes met and Reika realized that she had never seen the Ancestor so _human_ before.


	7. Chapter 7

**So, Kuroyuki no Ryu drew a picture of Reika and Senri. It's really great and you can find it on DeviantArt.**

 **This chapter has ended up being shorter than I previously planned. At the beginning I wanted to write chapters with 2k-3k words for this story. Somehow they ended up mostly being 5k words long. Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that if I want to continue writing such long chapters, this story will progress even slower than it has already. As such I wanted to ask you what you would actually prefer; longer chapters or shorter periods of time between updates.**

 **There is also another question I would like to ask you all. As most of you might have guessed, there are still a few chapters about Reika's childhood in front of us. What I would like to know is whether there are some scenes or situations you would like me to write about before this arc ends. Are there any things Reika should experience before she becomes a teen and later an adult?**

 **Many of you have asked me to write Kaname's POV, but that won't happen for at least a little while longer. I am planning to write something from his point of view in the later chapters.**

 **Are there any other characters whose POV you would like to see? Until now I have only written a short interlude in the first chapter from Shiki Hiromi's point of view, so there are many characters whose view on Reika we still don't know. It might be interesting for me to write someone else's POV.**

 **I am very interested to hear about your wishes and ideas and if I like them, I might actually even incorporate them into this story.**

 **On another note, I don't speak Italian, so everything in this chapter is taken from google. If there are any mistakes, then I am sorry and you're welcome to correct me.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter.]**

 **Have fun.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 7_

 _Let It All Go_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where Their Story Starts_

* * *

 _"The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for."_  
 _― Bob Marley_

 _"When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives."_  
 _― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones_

* * *

 _It was dark outside and incredibly late._

 _She did not have any money with her, so taking the bus home was out of question. The girl had already been caught twice without a ticket and her parents would kill her if it happened again._

 _Biting her lip softly, she glanced to the side to make sure that she was truly alone. As frightening as the darkness seemed to be, another person's presence might have been even worse. Most people who still walked the streets at such late hours did not belong to the pleasant or even just decent kind._

 _Sometimes it was better to be alone rather than in the presence of a monster._

 _For what felt like the thousandth time, the teen glanced at her phone to check how many minutes had passed since her brother had last written her. Irritation made her lips curl into a slight sneer when she realized that he was already five minutes late._

 _In the time it took Enzo to get ready and reach the station, Cienna could have reached her home twice._

 _As she considered walking to their apartment by herself, the girl tapped her foot impatiently against the cobblestone. It would not be the first time she did so and it would serve her brother right for letting her wait so long after he promised to pick her up from her friend's home._

 _When Cienna was just about to go, her phone vibrated in her pocket._

'I'm almost there,' _her brother's message said. Relief made her body relax and a small smile appear on her face._

 _Just as he had said, Enzo soon became visible in the distance. Her older brother was quite tall for his age, though still not as tall as their father. He walked up to her slowly, deliberately making her wait even longer for him. Like every older brother, he knew of the perfect ways to annoy his younger sisters._

 _''Can't you for once hurry up a little?'' Cienna asked when he was only a few meters away from her._

 _''Why should I?'' he inquired instead of answering. ''You could have met me halfway down the road, you know.''_

 _Pushing his arm none too gently, the girl rolled her eyes. ''I want to take the shortcut, so it wouldn't have made any sense for me to walk up to you only to move back afterwards.''_

 _''Oh, the shortcut. Mum's gonna go mental if she finds out. You know how she gets sometimes,'' murmured the boy, his lips slowly stretching into a mischievous grin. ''I'm in.''_

 _And that was how Cienna Donati convinced her brother to walk with her to their death. That was how they found themselves walking down a dark alley at two in the morning in Venice._

 _That was what made their paths cross with their murderer._

 _(...though, this was something_ Reika's _subconscious only accepted in her nightmares..._

 _..._

 _...while awake, the girl never allowed herself to ponder the fact that she had inadvertently led to her own brother's death..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _...while awake, she forced herself to believe that Cienna Donati had died alone..._

 _..._

 _...that she did not have a brother to mourn...)_

* * *

''It was nice meeting you, Yui-san,'' Reika uttered pleasantly as she watched the dark-haired woman bow lowly. The Level-B vampire was the fifth candidate she had met that day and the girl was starting to get tired of the unnecessarily polite and fake conversations she had with all those that applied for the job of being her new handmaiden.

One of her old ones had to leave because she was getting married to some British vampire and now Reika was stuck with choosing a new one. All the applicants tried to impress her by being overly polite and always ready suck up to her.

Their behavior got boring very quickly.

At the end, most of the women and girls who applied for the job were so similar to each other that Reika could not even differentiate between them, let alone remember all of their names.

She would have probably chosen the next best vampire if it were not for the appearance of an _Italian_ girl. The aristocrat seemed to be only about four years older than Reika herself and certainly not experienced enough to carter to all of the Kuran's needs.

And yet, as Reika heard the brunette's lilting accent, she felt her chest constricting almost _painfully._ For a second, instead of Letizia, she saw her sister _Maria._

(...no one ever commented on the lone tear that slid down her cheek...)

The older girl obviously hadn't been learning to speak Japanese for long. Her words were a horrible mix of a heavily accented Japanese and Italian. With slightly flushed cheeks she introduced herself to Reika and tried properly copy the other applicants behavior.

It was very obvious that the other child wasn't there of her own volition.

(...the cynical part of her wondered why the other girl's family had not sent someone better fitting for the job...

...

...as a pureblood she only deserved the best and Letizia certainly wasn't that...)

''I am fourteen and...ve...very good at _ricamo e nella cucina,_ uhm, I mean co...cooking,'' said the brunette, her eyes darting nervously around the room. Had Reika been anyone else, then she would not have understood half of the things the girl said. As it was, she knew both the languages the girl tried to speak in. This meant that she had a rather unfair advantage over the other child - no one in this life knew that she actually spoke Italian - and ended up being quite amused over the other girl's rambling.

''That's quite enough.'' Reika actually had to stop herself from answering in her mother tongue. It had been years since she had last heard the language, but her vampiric memory kept her from forgetting it. ''I like you. You've got the job.''

Years had passed since something or someone had managed to pleasantly remind her of her previous life. The girl before her would never be able to replace what Reika had lost, but perhaps she would manage to remind her of more pleasant times. Perhaps she would manage to give her even just a minuscule part of the world she had lost back.

There was something impossibly familiar and comforting about hearing her mother tongue.

'' _Che cosa?''_ Letizia blinked in bewilderment. ''Oh, uhm, thank you, _signora_ Reika.''

A choked sound came from the corner of the room. ''Reika-sama, are you sure about this decision?''

The question came from Chinatsu who had previously been assigned to watch over her during the interviews. She was looking at Reika with disbelieving eyes and as her gaze slid towards Letizia, distaste immediately appeared in them as well.

Reika could not bring herself to care about the woman's opinion. ''Are you questioning my decisions, Chinatsu?''

This instantly froze the other vampire in place. If there was one thing no one should ever do, then it was to outright question an already irritated pureblood. ''No, of course not, Reika-sama.''

She smiled pleasantly and hopped down from her chair. ''Good. Why don't you show Letizia her new quarters, huh? Lead her to the kitchen afterwards.'' Reika turned her head towards her new handmaid. ''Bring some tea to my room once you're finished.''

Wide brown orbs stared at her. '' _Sì, signora_ Reika.''

Pleased at finally being finished with her tedious work, Reika nodded her head once and turned around to leave the room. Mahogany doors opened before she reached them and allowed her to leave a room without further ado.

* * *

Kaname was occupying her favorite reading spot.

It was not the first time that Reika came across him on the carefully crafted bench in the garden. Just like her, he often came there to read during the late afternoons. Before this day, Reika had always chosen to leave instead of sitting down besides her cousin.

This time the girl did the exact opposite.

She did not know what prompted her to do so. To walk up to him and carefully settle down on the bench, not even a foot away from Kaname.

Perhaps she was feeling some kind of duty towards him. Kuran Kaname had not only saved her life, but that of her brother as well. The least she could do in exchange was to offer him some of her company.

Though, a part of her knew that this was not the entire truth. In some ways the Kuran Ancestor could be seen as her kindred spirit. Both of them had been unwittingly forced into this life, Reika in form of her rebirth and Kaname by her supposed father. They were both adults trapped in the bodies of children.

That was not their only similarity. Not only were Kaname's and Reika's lives controlled by Rido, but both vampires were also purebloods, which practically made them into something akin to gods among their kind. Better than most, the young girl knew about the repercussions of such a high standing. From her very first lesson, the girl was taught that as a pureblood she stood above everyone.

 _Standing above everyone else and having no equal was very lonely path to walk upon._

And that was the one thing that would always bind Kaname and Reika together. In this world or any other there weren't many people who were as lonely as the two supposed pureblood children.

Their kind continued to heap expectations upon their small shoulder while simultaneously stroking their egos.

(...even though she preferred to ignore them, the girl was very aware of her own faults...

...

...and arrogance...

...

...

...well, arrogance was certainly one of them...)

Being coveted like a goddess had both its ups and downs, like everything else in life did. It might have been quite satisfying, but it was also very effective in creating a divide between the purebloods and the rest of the world.

Sometimes, Kuran Reika _hated_ being a pureblood.

(...she missed being Cienna Donati...

...

...she missed having a loving family...

...

...

...but above all else she missed being _human...)_

During some days, the female Kuran wished that she could have just been reborn as an aristocrat. That she had never met even just one member of the Kuran family.

 _Life would have been much easier that way._

Still, she tried to do the best of her current situation. Pitying herself and living in the past would have done her no good. It was either moving forward or stagnating and consecutively dying.

As such, Reika decided that perhaps the time had come for her to look past her foreknowledge from a show for pubescent girls. The female Kuran would not trust her cousin - she wasn't _suicidal_ \- but she could show him some leniency.

And if by doing so she would gain a new companion for a few hours of the day, then that was just another reason to do it. No one could fault her for seeking out contact with other people. Just like humans - or perhaps even more - vampires were social creatures. There was a reason why none them could truly live after the death of their beloved.

Noticing her cousin's gaze on her form, Reika bit her lip nervously and gathered her resolve before she could change her mind. She owed Kaname not only her life, but that of her brother as well. The least she could do for him was to spent some time in his company.

Her steps were silent as she walked across the grass toward the bench Kaname was occupying. With a book clutched tightly in her hand, Reika approached the ancestor and sat down next to him without saying a word.

After regarding her curiously for a moment, Kaname returned to his reading. His gaze seemed to have a physical weight, yet it did not scare her as it had four years ago.

(...all things changed with time, Reika knew that...

...

...still, nothing could have prepared her for how _much_ some things were about to change...)

When his intelligent gaze finally moved away from her and toward his book, the girl opened her own novel and started reading it.

Altogether, she found it quite satisfying to not be _alone_ for once.

* * *

Attending multiple galas in a year got tedious very quickly. There was a certain monotony to every interaction Reika had with the other attendants.

She also hated the way some of the vampires _looked_ at her. It was as if she was just a puppet they could use and later discard. A blood bag they would happily drain when the chance arrived.

They looked at her as if they were the predators and she the _prey._

(...such a thing was unacceptable...)

And Reika had no other choice but to softly smile at them and pretend to be the guileless child she was meant to be.

To survive in this cruel world, she had to appear as nonthreatening as possible. Her enemies - And wasn't that just sad? At the age of ten, Reika already had people she considered to be her _enemies. -_ had to underestimate her. This was the only real advantage she had over them.

As such, she never protested to standing at Kaname's side during such occasions. The girl just forced a pleasant mask upon her face and clung almost childishly to her cousin, giving everyone the impression of an pretty accessory on the other vampire's arm. Rarely did she feel the need to contribute anything meaningful to their conversations, thus she only practiced in the usual polite banter.

Reika wore the mask of a gullible child and performed her duties meticulously. She talked politely with the other guests and danced perfectly with her cousin.

She followed the rules and expectations of her kind because for all of her power, Reika wasn't truly powerful at all.

''Our studies are coming along very well, Shinzo-san,'' answered Kaname while squeezing Reika's arm softly. It was clear that he was trying to move her attention to the present happenings instead of her inner thoughts.

Nothing good would come out of accidentally insulting an aristocrat by not listening to what he was saying.

Nodding her head in agreement, Reika allowed her lips to tilt upwards slightly. ''Ah, yes, history is especially interesting nowadays. We're currently going over the establishment of the Vampire Council and its early years.''

''That's good to hear,'' Shinzo, one of a few dozen aristocrats in the room, uttered. ''Personally, I've never liked this subject. It's too much of a reminder of our past mistakes. Though, I find it admirable that you find some joy in history, Reika-sama.''

''History teaches us not to repeat the errors of our ancestors, Shinzo-san,'' explained Reika, her voice firm and full of conviction. ''Many terrible things have happened in the past and hopefully learning about them will make us more aware of the happenings in the present.''

The wars especially were something Reika would not like to experience in her lifetime. In the past few millennia there were many skirmishes among her kind, but only a few of them were considered to be wars nowadays, the most horrible of them being the one that took place during the abolition of the monarchy and the war against the vampire hunters.

Many lives, both innocent and not, had been lost during them and Reika would truly prefer to not be a witness of another such tragedy.

''Yes, of course,'' Shinzo said, his green eyes roaming over her dismissively. His opinion of her was very obvious. In his eyes Reika was just a naive child that did not know what she was talking about. Shinzo Harumi belonged to the vampires that believed in _violence_ and _spilling blood._ He probably thought that there was nothing in the world which a little pain could not solve.

Still, Reika could also be wrong with this assumption. The aristocrat could also be a survivor of one of the many wars. A survivor who had lost too much to believe in a life without violence.

''You said that history wasn't to your liking, Shinzo-san,'' the female Kuran began before an awkward silence could descent between them. It was better to keep talking rather than just staring at each other. ''Perhaps you could elaborate what does interest you.''

And as the middle-aged looking vampire started to talk about his passion, which just so happened to be physics, Reika let her gaze wander around the room in search of her brother. She found him near the buffet with Rima and another young girl she knew to be Souen Ruka.

The pureblood had met the other girl only a handful of times before. She seemed to be nice enough, if a little too fixated on their respective blood statuses. Ruka seemed to belong to the people who honestly worshiped purebloods like gods.

Which was admittedly better than most of the other options, but still just as stifling.

Luck was on Reika's side that day because just as she was ready to look away from her brother and his friends, the young boy turned his gaze onto her. As inconspicuously as she could, the Kuran tried to convey her need for rescue.

Fortunately, Senri knew her good enough to see through her almost impassive gaze. Almost immediately, the young boy excused himself from his friends and started walking towards her purposely.

He reached their small group just as Shinzo started prattling about some new project of his. ''Excuse me, Shinzo-san, but most of the children will be going to garden soon and I wanted to ask whether Onee-sama and Onii-sama would like to join us.''

Too relieved to consider her answer for more than a second, Reika just nodded her head in affirmation and smiled softly at her brother. ''We would love to.''

The look Kaname sent her way made her think that she might have been the only one who considered spending time with a bunch of children as a proper escape.

Though, it wasn't as if she herself was too keen on playing with a group of brats in the garden. Reika always felt weird around children. For all intense and purpose she was meant to be one of them and yet the girl had no idea how she should behave in their presence. Senri was easy to get along with, the rest not so much.

Remembering her last training session, Reika smiled almost viciously at her cousin. ''Come on, Kaname-onii-sama, it'll be fun.''

(...a small part of her noticed that a few years ago she would have never dared to act in such a way towards her cousin...

...

...almost professionally, Reika ignored that part and pushed it into a corner of her mind...)

Kaname's answering glance in her direction promised revenge. ''Of course.''

And that was how the two not-children found themselves in a garden surrounded by a bunch of prepubescents. It was just as awkward and unpleasant as Reika had expected it to be, but she took some comfort from the fact that she wasn't the only one suffering.

After all, just like her, Kaname was forced to deal with their worshiping glances and playing childish games.

''How about we just play tag?'' Senri propositioned once he had enough of the other children's bickering about their next course of action. Reika had mostly been preoccupied with spacing out by her cousin's side, so she did not mind the other children's behavior too much.

She still nodded vigorously to support her brother. ''I would like that.''

Just like that the whole bickering stopped and it was decided what they would do next. Reika sometimes wondered whether she should feel guilty about the influence she had over her peers and vampires in general, but then she remembered the world she had been reborn into and considered this ability of hers to be nothing but a blessing.

Every advantage she had over the other vampires was something that might end up saving her life in the future.

(...if there was one thing Reika truly _feared,_ then it was _dying again...)_

''So, whose going to be the one trying to catch us all?'' Aido Hanabusa asked. ''It certainly won't be _me.''_

''Well,'' the female Kuran begun. ''Senri proposed the game, so he can start.''

The withering look her brother sent her way made Reika smile brightly. Some days she just could not stop herself from antagonizing her little brother.

Though, it wasn't as if there was something wrong with it. Such behavior was practically in the job description of an older sibling.

Besides, running around would certainly do Senri some good. The younger boy was probably the laziest person Reika knew. He wasn't as lazy as she had been in her previous life, but still enough to make the girl often sigh in exasperation.

''Now, now, don't look like that.'' Reika gently smoothed the crease between his eyebrows. ''You should better start counting.''

And then she just turned around and started running, reflexively pulling Kaname whose arm she had been holding along with her. Behind her, Reika heard two complains of her actions not being fair.

One came from her brother the other from Aido Hanabusa. The rest of their ragtag group knew better and chose wisely to follow Reika's example. When a good opportunity presented itself, one had to use it.

''You did not have to drag me along with you,'' commented Kaname once they were far enough from her brother.

''Right now or when we were talking with Shinzo-san?'' questioned Reika while tilting her head to the side inquisitively. ''Well, no matter, someone has to make sure that you lighten up a little.''

It was only after those words had already passed her lips that Reika truly registered what she had actually said. She had to forcefully stop herself from grabbing the hem of her dress in a nervous gesture.

''And I should do that here? While playing tag?'' He seemed to be almost amused, as if he could not believe that she had said something so incredulous.

(...Reika almost sighed in relief...

...

...sometimes, she still felt as if Kaname would bite off her head the moment she the wrong thing...)

Reika hummed thoughtfully. ''Playing tag is certainly better than talking to a group of people who would love nothing more than to devour you. Not even you can refute that.''

''And not even you can refute that you're just as out of your depth here as I am,'' said the Ancestor, making clear that he could see straight through her.

Of course he can, Reika thought, not even the least bit surprised. The girl did not know why, but she somehow found herself completely amused by her current situation.

Here she was in the garden of the Aido mansion, hiding behind a bush and bickering with her _ancestor_ about something as trivial as playing with children that were supposedly their age.

She guessed that not even the great Kuran Kaname could completely escape the influence of their young bodies.

Not even willing to stop herself, Reika _laughed._


	8. Chapter 8

**This is one of my fastest and shortest updates. It's been only two weeks since I've updated the last chapter. This chapter has only 3k words.**

 **I've decided that I'll try making the chapters of this story as long as possible, but I won't wait until they're at least 5k words long. I hope that's alright.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter.]**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 8_

 _Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _How Life Continued_

* * *

 _"What strange creatures brothers are!"_  
 _― Jane Austen_

 _"You may be as different as the sun and the moon, but the same blood flows through both your hearts. You need her, as she needs you..."_  
 _― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones_

* * *

Spending time with Kaname in the gardens became a routine very quickly.

As such, Reika found herself at least twice a week sitting next to him on their favored bench in the shadow of a large oak tree. At the beginning she had been hesitant to join him, not knowing whether her presence was truly welcome. But as the time passed and Kaname said nothing against her actions, Reika started relaxing and truly enjoying herself.

There was something incredibly soothing and comforting about her ancestor's presence.

The female Kuran could only guess that this had something to do with her instincts. They prompted her to seek out _safety_ and there was no denying that in this world there weren't many people that could actually oppose her cousin.

Currently an attack might have been unlikely, but Reika had no delusions about her actual safety in this world. Neither did she have any delusions about her own strength and powers.

As a pureblood she might have been stronger than any vampires with a lower blood status, but that did not mean that she could actually fight everything the Vampire Council could sent her way. No matter what some believed, purebloods weren't one man armies.

Thus, Reika would not really stand a chance if the Vampire Council chose to get rid of her. Neither could she ever hope to compare to her father strength-wise. When it came to surviving in this world, Kaname was her best chance for now.

She knew that when it came to it, he would happily sacrifice her for Yuki or his plans. That was something she had always been aware of, yet could not bring herself to truly care about. Reika knew that for now at least her cousin would keep both her brother and her safe.

Besides, it wasn't as if she actually planned to stick around until the shit finally hit the fan. By the time her father finally made his appearance, Reika planned to be as far as possible from Japan along with Senri.

(...in a few years time she would realize that outrunning her problems was not a possibility...)

Kaname could merrily slaughter half of their kind while she laid comfortably somewhere on a beach with a fresh blood cocktail in her hand. Reika just needed to wait long enough until travelling by herself would not seem to outlandish and thus draw too much attention to her. Afterwards she had to convince her brother that abandoning their whole lives was actually a really good idea.

''Is that book really that bad? You've been staring at the same page for the last half an hour,'' murmured a slightly tired sounding voice from besides her.

The ancestor had been gone for the last few days and had only returned to their home a few hours ago. Reika could only guess that he had been on one of his annual visits to his now human sister.

Shacking her head a little distractedly, the girl answered, ''No, I just have something on my mind.'' She tilted her head to the side to look at his book cover. ''Is yours really that interesting? I think you've been reading it for the last few weeks.''

That was something she had been wondering for a while now. Normally, Kaname changed his books as often as she did, but this book had somehow managed to catch his attention for about thrice as long. The thing that irked her about this was that she had no idea what he was actually reading.

It was not surprising to find out that her ancestor spoke languages she did not even know the basics of, but it still irritated her to no end that she could not even read the title of his book.

Russian was not something she had ever learned.

He angled the book towards her so that she could see the cover more clearly. ''It's a collection of poems. They are pleasant to read and well written.''

Reika blinked. ''You like poetry?''

''You seem surprised,'' he said, his voice tinged with something unfamiliar. ''What else did you expect?''

Humming thoughtfully, Reika brushed a hand through her hair. ''I don't know. I just never would have pegged you for someone who enjoys reading poetry.''

To be honest, the younger Kuran wasn't even sure why this development surprised her so much. It wasn't as if she herself could not appreciate a good poem or two or that she thought that there was something wrong with Kaname doing the same.

She almost snorted derisively at herself. Did she truly expect that he only read strategy books and 101s On How To Conquer The World?

''Are they only from Russian poets?'' she questioned curiously, incapable of stopping herself from finding out something new from the seemingly unreachable ancestor.

Kaname uttered his affirmation, ''Yes, they're better in their original language. Most literature is, as a you probably know.''

''Not really.'' Reika scratched her head almost sheepishly. ''I only read Japanese books. Well, I know other languages, but I've never really read any novels written in them.''

She had never really thought about reading anything in a language other than Japanese. In her previous life she had obviously read Italian books. Unfortunately, she could not do that anymore. Not only would Reika give away one of her advantages then but she also did not have an easy access to them. The local bookstores only sold Japanese and sometimes English books, though the latter were rarely of a genre she herself enjoyed.

And yet, if she truly wanted to, then the girl could have acquired everything she wanted with the help of her caretakers. The thing was that she had just never really thought about this before.

''You're pretty proficient at both German and English, so you'll probably start learning another language soon,'' the male Kuran said as he started waving slightly with his book. ''If you choose Russian, I could lend you this someday.''

That wasn't actually such a bad idea. Russian belonged to one of the most widely known languages in the world and it would also be helpful should Reika chose to learn another Slavic language. Although no languages were completely the same, Slavic languages did have a few commonalities which made learning them while already knowing one easier.

And it wasn't as if Reika really cared about which language she would learn next. As a pureblood she had all the time in the world and she would certainly not stop her lingual education at four languages.

Russian was also practical because a large part of her kind lived in that country. Not as many as in Japan, but still a considerable amount.

Coming to a decision, Reika nodded her head in agreement. ''Sure. Why not.''

* * *

''What now, _Signora_ Reika?'' inquired Letizia after turning off the hand mixer. Even from afar Reika could see the specks of cream on her maroon colored apron.

In the last few months the aristocrat had gotten better at speaking Japanese, though she still couldn't do it perfectly. The same applied to the many tasks that had been assigned to her, but altogether Reika was happy that she had chosen to hire the Italian girl.

Letizia, despite all her faults and clumsiness, was a refreshingly _good_ person. Among their kind that was a rarity.

Pausing her task of cutting strawberries, the pureblood turned her gaze towards her handmaid. ''Check the oven, please. The cake might be ready by now.''

'' _Sì, Signora_ Reika.'' Uncertainly, the aristocrat moved towards the oven, bend down and let her eyes roam over the cake inside of it. ''Uhm, _Signora_ Reika, how do I know if it's ready?''

''Well,'' said Reika as she pushed the cut strawberries into a bowl. ''The color, it has to have a golden tint to it.''

Letizia nodded her head in understanding. ''Then I think it's ready. The cake is getting kind of... _dark_ in the back.''

Eyes widening in panic, the younger vampire quickly rushed towards the oven. She barely managed to stop herself from cursing loudly. ''We need to take it out before it's completely ruined.''

Instead of waiting for Letizia who had gone to get some oven gloves, Reika opened the device and stepped to the side to evade the escaping warmth. Then she focused on the oven sheet at the top and carefully levitated it onto the counter. The metal plate trembled perilously on its way to its destination, but managed to reach it at the end.

Letizia took care of the second oven sheet, pulling it out of the oven and positioning it on the counter as well.

Slowly, the pureblood walked towards the cake and assessed the damage it might have suffered. A sigh escaped her lips when she realized that neither of the separate pavlova parts had been damaged by her powers, though one of them was slightly charred.

The older vampire stood next to her and regarded their work skeptically. ''We could scrape off the burned parts and use this layer as the bottom.''

Although the Italian girl did not sound too sure of herself, Reika still hummed in agreement. It wasn't as if she had any time left to start making the cake anew. ''Sure. Can you hand me the knife?''

Letizia reached across counter and took a hold of the knife Reika had previously used to cut the strawberries. Afterwards she gave it to Reika, her gaze gradually filling with skepticism and hesitance. ''Are you sure this will work, _Signora_ Reika?''

''No,'' answered the Kuran. ''But I hope that this whole thing won't fall apart.''

Choosing to start before she could rethink the whole thing, Reika carefully scraped off the burned parts. It was harder than she had imagined and she somehow managed to break of a middle sized part of the pavlova.

This time she could not stop herself from cursing quietly. Somehow everything seemed to go wrong that day. First the store did not have all the ingredients they needed to bake the strawberry pavlova cake. Both girls had to drive across the whole town to buy everything they needed. Due to this they lost a huge amount of time which they could have used right now to bake a new cake layer.

Another problem Reika had was that the season wasn't right for any of the fruits she needed, thus the strawberries ended up being sour rather than sweet.

And now this happened.

The girl felt immensely irritated.

She had only wanted to do something nice for her brother's birthday, yet everything seemed to turn out wrong.

The pavlova cake she was making was one _Cienna's_ mother used to make for her children's birthdays. It had been a family tradition and Reika wanted to include her younger brother in it.

''It's certainly going to be the bottom now,'' uttered Letizia, her tone more than a little sarcastic. The aristocrat only seemed to notice what she had truly said once the words were already out. Horrified, she raised her hands towards her mouth and bowed a slightly. '' _Mi dispiace, Signora_ Reika!''

Waving one hand dismissively, Reika put the knife back onto the counter. ''It's alright, it's alright. Let's just finish this. Hopefully, it won't taste as bad as it will look.''

''I'm sure _Signore_ Senri will like it either way,'' Letizia uttered, obviously trying to make the Kuran feel better about her failure.

Reika snorted loudly.

* * *

Senri _loved_ his sister.

It was a fact of life; natural and completely _irrefutable._

The sky was blue, the grass was green and Senri loved Reika. Looking back on it, there really was no other choice for him. Reika had been the first person who ever loved _him_ and that also made her the first person whom received his love in return.

When one was as alone as they were during their early childhood, a person tended not to be too picky.

Despite knowing that he wasn't his sister's _equal,_ Senri still _chose_ to be loyal to her. And it wasn't a loyalty that stemmed from _his_ love or her blood and power, but from the love and dedication Reika herself felt towards him. It was a loyalty that stemmed from the fact that his sister would _always_ put him above _herself._

Their society might have seen him as something less than his pureblood sister, but to her he meant the _world._

Kuran Reika had been willing to sacrifice her life for _him._ Senri would never forget the fear he had felt in clutch of that Level E vampire. Neither could he ever forget the _terror_ of seeing his sister almost _die_ at that same vampire's hand.

The boy had never been as terrified as he had been that day, not even in the presence of their mad father.

As much as he was Reika's world, she was his as well.

And she managed to prove it over and over again, be it with grand gestures such as being willing to sacrifice her life for him or smaller ones like making sure that he was treated fairly by the other members of their kind and personally baking him a cake for his birthday.

On his tenth birthday, Senri awoke a while after sundown to the opening of the door of his room. His sister was the first one to walk in, a giant pavlova cake topped with cream and all kinds of berries in her hands. It was very obvious that it was homemade. The layers were of a different size and cream continuously dripped down the side. On the way to him the lopsided cake lost a few berries from its top.

No one payed any attention to all the fruits that fell onto the wooden floor, not the servants and certainly not his sister.

Senri was surprised to note that Reika had managed to drag their cousin into this. Kaname was following the female Kuran, the usual impassive expression on his face. Though, Senri liked to believe that there might have been something slightly gentler in his eyes.

''Happy birthday!'' sang the small crowd entering his room, his sister at the forefront. As they got closer, the ten candles on top of the cake were lit on fire and Senri wondered whether his sister or their cousin had done that. Reika still had problems with controlling her powers oftentimes, but if she truly put her mind on something, then she almost always managed to do it.

''You know, you've got to blow out the candles before the wax drips onto the cake,'' Said Reika when he did nothing but stare at her wide-eyed. ''And don't forget the wish.''

He did just that. At once, Senri blew out all the candles and tried to think of an appropriate wish. There wasn't anything material he actually wanted to have and did not already - another thing his sister made sure of - and he did not really believe that wishing for anything else would truly help. By material things he could still fool himself into believing that there existed some higher being that was willing to listen to his wishes, but he knew that none of his significant plights could really be changed by blowing out a few candles.

There weren't enough candles in the world to save his mother from her madness.

Reika smiled brightly, gave the cake to one of the servants and wrapped her arms around him. ''Happy birthday, Otouto. You've finally reached the double digits.''

''You're talking as if you haven't reached the 'double digits' just a short while ago as well,'' countered the young aristocrats, his arms slithering around his sister's waist.

A short laugh was the answer he got as well as a very peculiar look. The same look would appear in his sister's eyes in the most random of times and Senri could never figure out what it actually meant.

''Well, I am older than you.'' That was really not an answer to his none-question. ''I've planned something for you for the whole night. Though, if there is something you really want to do, we can do that instead.''

Warmth bloomed inside Senri's chest at the hesitant way his sister regarded him. She was giving him a choice, she always did that.

And that was the best gift she could ever give him. In a world of a few choices, Reika was always willing to listen to him and to follow his propositions.

Senri smiled slightly. ''No, it's alright. We can do whatever you have planned.''

''Really? That's great,'' she said and moved to the side to give the others some access to him.

Senri could still remember the time when his sister did not even dare to leave him alone in a room with their cousin and continuously put herself between the two boys. Yet, here she was, moving to the side to allow their cousin to ruffle Senri's head gently. It said a lot about how much things had changed within the last few years.

And if Reika's gaze minimally softened at that sight, then no one dared to comment on that.

Senri himself just smiled peacefully, closing his eyes in contentment.

At that moment he once again remembered why he would follow his sister to the end of the world.


	9. Chapter 9

**Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Have fun.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 9_

 _All Through The Night_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where Some Changes Became Obvious_

* * *

 _"Time is an illusion."_

 _― Albert Einstein_

 _"Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old."_  
 _― Franz Kafka_

* * *

Glowing lanterns surrounded her, lighting the path Reika was walking on alongside her brother, cousin and closest friend. A pond next to the road reflected the moon overhead as well as the countless cherry blossom trees in the park they were currently in middle of. Rosy petals danced through the air as a small breeze caressed the brunette's skin.

The cherry blossom festivals were a beautiful Japanese tradition that was celebrated each year. Young and old gathered in parks all over the country to watch the sakura trees in their full bloom, spending a pleasant few hours with both friends and family all the while.

Reika herself had spent half of the day with those that might be called her family and friends. They had pushed their way through the most crowded parts of the festival and played the games some of the vendors had prepared for the day. Together with Senri, the young Kuran had eaten what felt like a ton of sweets and even forced some of the more dubious ones upon Kaname for testing. After some convincing, Letizia joined their fun as well.

When the road became too crowded, Kaname flared his aura, which caused all the humans to unconsciously take a step away from them. By that time, they had already visited the most interesting stalls and decided to search for a place to settle down for the evening firework show.

Their small group of four was lucky enough to find a free patch of grass near the water. There, they lowered themselves onto the ground and started to unpack the food they had gotten at some of the food stalls.

Reika had chosen _yakitori_ for herself. The chicken skewers were still warm when she unwrapped them from their packaging and seasoned with _wasabi_ and Japanese mustard. It tasted just as good as it looked and the female Kuran had to forcefully stop herself from licking her fingers after she finished eating her it.

''You want the last one?'' Kaname questioned, leaning slightly forward to look over Reika at her brother.

As focused as she had been on her own food, Reika had not taken any time to pay attention to Senri. Now, that she finally looked at her brother, the girl could see the way he averted his eyes sheepishly and nervously clutched at the empty paper back in his hand.

''Uhm, yeah.'' He bit his lip. ''But only if you don't want it anymore, of course.''

Kaname's mouth quirked in amusement. ''Of course.''

Something akin to fondness bloomed in Reika's chest as she watched the two boy's interacting. It was soon joined by amusement when she saw the eagerness with which her brother took the bag of _imagawayaki_ from their supposed cousin.

Thoroughly entertained, Reika giggled softly. Those giggles turned into outright laughter when Senri ducked his head, his normally impassive face rosy with embarrassment.

Unable to stop herself, the younger pureblood bend her body to the side, smacked a loud and wet kiss onto her brother's cheek and ruffled his hair almost harshly at the same time.

The boy wiped his cheek dramatically and complained: ''Onee-sama!''

''Sorry.'' Grinning, Reika patted his head non too apologetically. ''Now, can I have piece of that? It's filled with custard, isn't it?''

''Yes, it is and no, you can't,'' he answered petulantly, a barely concealed childish glee appearing on his face.

''Really?'' The girl pouted. ''Don't be like that, Otouto. Just one bite.''

Senri just pulled the treat out of her reach. ''Onii-sama gave it to _me.''_

In search of support, Reika looked over her shoulder at Letizia, only to notice that the Italian was completely engrossed in gathering some of the fallen cherry blossoms.

Exasperated, she barely managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Instead she focused her gaze on Kaname. ''Don't you have anything to say about this?''

Although his face stayed completely impassive as he answered her, the way Kaname's aura almost playfully brushed against her skin betrayed his true feelings. ''Not really, no.''

This time she did not even try stopping herself from rolling her eyes which ended up being the only answer the Ancestor received from her. A loud explosive sound tore Reika's attention away from the other vampires and moved it towards the night sky above them.

Green, yellow and purple hid the visible stars that accompanied the moon that night. The fireworks lightened the whole park and were reflected by the clear pond.

Silently, Reika marveled at the beauty before her as a joyous feeling spread through her entire being.

* * *

''Chocolate tea?''

Reika tilted her head to the side and squinted at her cousin, prompting him to continue his guessing. ''There also seems to be some coconut extract or some dried coconut bits in it,'' he paused, eyebrows wrinkling slightly. ''Some mint as well.''

The girl smiled. ''You've gotten really good at this guessing game, though it's not as if you've been ever bad at it.''

''You do realize there is nothing special about this, don't you?'' Bemused, Kaname allowed his gaze to slide away from the tea cups on the table and towards her. ''Distinguishing the different ingredients of your teas is a rather insignificant part of our abilities. Our sense of smell is many times better than that of a human or even an aristocrat. Neither of them would have been capable of smelling the violets at the edge of our property, and yet we can do that without even exerting ourselves.''

Reika almost pouted. ''I know, but this isn't just about distinguishing the different smells but also putting a name to them.''

''It's not as if the ingredients of your teas are that hard to come by,'' said Kaname.

''Some of them are rather exotic.'' She took a sip of her beverage. ''I wouldn't have been able to put a name to every ingredient of every tea I have drunk until now, because there were some things in them I haven't come across before.''

During times like these the female Kuran was always reminded of how _old_ her cousin actually was. This might have seemed weird, but if one thought properly about it, then a person could come easily to the conclusion that even Kaname's ability to distinguish and name different smells had something to do with his age. The Ancestor had lived for thousands of years and in those years he had certainly experienced things Reika could only dream of. Kaname must have traveled the whole world many times in his infinite life. He had seen cultures and spoken languages that that were long forgotten nowadays. Even the foods he had tasted must be countless and Reika did not know whether she should envy or pity him for all of that.

''Well, then we'll just have to broaden your horizons in that respect,'' Kaname retorted without an once hesitation.

A broad smile stretched across Reika's lips. ''Takehiko-san is going to Tokyo next month. We could accompany him and try out some of the restaurants there. Senri would certainly be happy to join us.''

''I have planned to accompany him anyway.'' Kaname titled his head thoughtfully. ''There is something I need to take care of in Tokyo, but we could certainly do something afterwards.''

''Great!'' Reika clapped her hands twice, a happy expression lightening her face. ''Senri and I can take a look around the city until you join us.''

''I won't need long, though we should probably discuss the details later.'' He took a hold of the tea kettle before them and poured some of the drink into a cup.

The girl inclined her head in agreement. ''Of course. By the way, how is Takuma doing? I haven't seen him in a while.''

''He's well. His grandfather has forced him to start learning Chinese, which he seems to quite dislike, but he seems to be fine otherwise,'' explained the Ancestor. ''He promised to sent you some of his next batch of rose tea. The Ichijo family imports it from France.''

Brushing a lock of her hair from her face, Reika felt the corners of her mouth tilt upwards. ''That's very thoughtful of him. I'll have to thank him the next time we see each other.''

Their conversation continued until the moon vanished from the window behind them. With soft voices the two purebloods continued talking about their days, the restaurants they should visit and cheese.

* * *

She could feel the tension the moment she entered the room.

The flat screen at the wall opposite of her was blaring loudly, airing a series Hiromi had once starred in. It seemed to be one of its older episodes because Reika could actually see Senri's mother talking with a man in the background.

There was something surreal about seeing the older vampire in such a composed state, even if it was just on the TV. Her hair was well taken care of, instead of the birds nest Reika saw every day. There was also no madness in her eyes and her face had a healthy glow.

The woman on screen seemed to be a completely different person when compared to the mad vampire that currently sat on the couch of their living room, holding her son's wrist in a vice grip. She was babbling loudly, most of what she said completely inconsequential.

A grimace of pain appeared on Senri's face when his mother tightened her grip on his wrist.

Without an further prompting, Reika stepped forward to interfere. She made sure that her voice was even and commanding enough to attract the other female vampire's attention. ''Hiromi-san.''

At first it was as if the woman had not heard her. Then her head started slowly turning in Reika's direction, her eyes blinking lethargically before they finally seemed to focus on the young girl.

''Reika-sama,'' Hiromi crooned in a high pitch. ''Look! Look! That's me!''

The pureblood smiled. ''I see. You're a really good actress.''

While she talked, the girl slowly inched forward until she finally stood next to the two vampires. Afterwards, she carefully reached out her hand and put it over the one Hiromi had on Senri's wrist.

There was a reason why her brother did not fight against his mother's unforgiving touch. He did not want to hurt Hiromi, so Reika could not either. Using her compulsion against the woman probably wasn't a good idea as well. If there wasn't another choice, she would force her will upon the female aristocrat, but for now she wanted to spare her brother from seeing something like that.

''Ne, Hiromi-san, the episode is about to end. Could you help me choose the next movie we will watch?'' Smiling gently, Reika pointed at the cabinet filled with many DVDs. ''There are certainly some of your movies there.''

Hiromi's eyes lightened with a childish glee and her hand immediately let go of her son, taking a hold of Reika's wrist instead. She muttered something ineligible and begun pulling the pureblood alongside herself.

Choosing a movie turned out to be easier than the brunette expected it to be. There were many films inside the cabinet, but only about a handful of them featured Hiromi. After muttering something to herself, the female Shiki picked up a romantic comedy and managed to turn it on with only slight difficulties.

When they moved back to the couch, Reika made sure that she sat between the mother-son duo. Unfortunately, this meant that it was her wrist that was now trapped in Hiromi's painful grip.

Despite the way her bones seemed to grit against each other, the pureblood forced herself to smile. This was just a small gesture when compared to all that she was willing to suffer for her brother. In his few years of life he had seen enough of the dark sides of life, Senri did not need to witness his mother being manhandled or forced into submission.

Besides, it wasn't as if any injury the woman managed to inflict upon Reika would not heal within seconds or minutes at worst.

* * *

''Do you want me to comb your hair, _Signora_ Reika?'' questioned Letizia as she finished preparing the pureblood's bed for the night. She let her hand glide over the pillow one last time to make sure that there truly were no creases left and then turned her gaze towards the other vampire.

Taking a moment to ponder the question, Reika lowered herself onto the chair before her vanity and removed the tie holding her hair in a bun. ''Yes, that would be very nice of you.''

The Kuran only had to wait a handful of moments before her handmaid appeared behind her with a comb in her hand and a small smile on her lips. The physically older girl had always been rather emotionally open when compared to other vampires. That was a quality that actually endeared her to Reika.

''So,'' she begun, her eyes focusing on the Italian's reflection in the mirror in front of her. ''Why have you actually chosen to come here?''

Letizia's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ''Come here?''

''Why did you choose to leave your home to work for me?'' Reika elaborated, her light tone belying the serious look in her eyes.

The silence that followed that question showed the younger girl that the Italian actually took some time to contemplate her answer. It seemed as if Letizia was smart enough to recognize the importance of their conversation. This did not surprise the Kuran. ''Being in a pureblood's service is an honor for an aristocrat such as myself. It would be a lie if I said that this was the only reason why I chose to travel half across the world to serve you, but it still was a major one.'' She paused. ''I had a choice, _Signora_ Reika, it was either to work for you or be forced into an arranged marriage with a stranger, so I would have been forced to leave my home either way.''

If it were not for Kaname's presence, then Reika herself would have certainly received countless marriage proposals and would have been expected to accept one of them. As it was, most people just assumed that the two Kuran's would follow their family 'tradition' and get married once they were of age.

Most people also did not know about Yuki's existence.

''I thought you were the oldest among your siblings,'' Reika said as Letizia finally started to comb her locks.

''I am,'' murmured the Italian. ''But that doesn't automatically make me my father's heir. You see, my _Papà_ is a rather old fashioned man. He prefers to have a male heir, so that title has been bestowed upon my younger brother, Damiano.'' A fond smile appeared on the brunette's face as she continued talking about her brother. ''He's actually your age and you even share your birthday. I don't think that he really wants to be our father's heir. Damiano seems to believe that the position is more trouble than it's actually worth.''

Reika tilted her head to the side in curiosity and uttered: ''You don't seem to disagree.''

''Our society can be rather stifling sometimes,'' Letizia said, her voice full of caution. ''Being the heir of an aristocratic family would just force me to be a more active member of it. Unfortunately, I also have to agree with my _Papà_ that I'm not much of a politician.''

What she left unsaid was that she was too open and easy to read to not be utterly annihilated by the other vampires during any debate. While Reika did not necessarily consider those to be bad qualities, they certainly weren't helpful in their world.

''Well,'' the pureblood uttered softly. ''There aren't all that many pleasant people among our kind.''

That seemed to be the right answer, Reika thought as she watched an honest smile spread across the other girl's lips.


	10. Chapter 10

**To be honest, I don't actually like this chapter, but I've still decided to update it because it's been some time since I have last done that. I might end up changing it in the future, though I make no promises.**

 **On another note, this chapter is probably badly edited. My computer isn't working properly, sorry.**

 **Another important thing is that I'd like to ask you whether you believe that Kaname is too OOC. I trying to do my best to keep him in character, but I'm not sure if I always manage to do that properly. In the series Kaname's personallity isn't truly explored, even though he could have been one of the series' most interesting characters. There just have to be at least a handful of more facets to him than the cold persona he normally portrayed. Besides, it was also clearly shown that he was capable of feeling love, which means that he isn't just some heartless monster.**

 **Lastly, I would also like to ask if you think that the pace of this story might be too fast. It's been a while since I've read the whole thing and I'm not sure if I'm able to judge this properly.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary:** **As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 10_

 _Leave A Light On_

 _._

 _._

 _._

* * *

 _"The one you love and the one who loves you are never, ever the same person."_

 _― Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters_

 _"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."_  
 _― Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World_

* * *

The ride to Tokyo was a rather short one.

After waking up at about seven in the morning, their small group got dressed and ate breakfast together. Then without any further ado, the vampire left the Shiki mansion and started their two hours long drive to their destination.

Senri, Kaname and Letizia ensured that this ride was anything but boring for Reika and before she even really noticed how much time had passed, they had already arrived in Tokyo.

They drove to their hotel first - apparently Takehiko would need more than one day to take care of his business - and decided that they would check in before they did anything else.

Reika ended up sharing a room with her brother and after some insistence Letizia as well. Kaname and Takehiko took separate rooms.

After everything she had been exposed to in this new life of hers, the lavish interior of the hotel did not even phase the female Kuran. She just put her small traveling bag onto her bed, drunk some water from a bottle she had found inside a cooler and then started making her way outside the hotel with her brother and friend. They met up with Kaname and Takehiko there and after a short talk their ways parted.

Since the time the two siblings were attacked by the Level E vampire, they weren't allowed outside without a bodyguard. This meant that they were trailed by two rather smartly dressed men as they explored the city.

A part of Reika felt offended by the fact that no one seemed to believe that she could take care of herself and those she cared about, while another was just grateful due to the extra safety provided for them.

As such, the girl just accepted the men's presence with a long-suffering sight, feeling inwardly relieved that they were being protected.

Earlier when their group was still in the car, they had chosen to go to the Ginza district, which was considered to be the high fashion center of the city. It was filled with many famous shops and some unusual boutiques.

With how long they lived, many vampires managed to acquire a fortune. The Kuran family especially belonged to one of the richest vampiric families in the world. They owned a few important companies all over the world and were involved in both agriculture and technology.

All this meant that Reika never actually had to worry about money. She could buy herself all the material things she wanted to have as long as she behaved somewhat responsibly when it came to spending her money.

There were both many upsides and downsides to this, the girl had noticed that very quickly. While the female pureblood never had to want for anything, she had also stopped appropriately appreciating the smaller things in life.

''You should try it on,'' said Reika as her eyes focused on Letizia who was watching a pretty dress on one of the hangers. The small shop they were currently occupying had previously caught the girl's attention with its rather classy displays.

Senri, to Reika's great displeasure, was rather apathetic when it came to their shopping spree. It was an attitude he showed towards most things nowadays.

''I don't know, _Signora_ Reika.'' The Italian looked longingly at the dress before her. ''This doesn't seem appropriate.''

''Well, I don't think so. If you like the dress, you should just try it on,'' countered the pureblood, a small smile curling her lips upwards. ''You might be my handmaiden, Letizia, but you're also my friend. The dress will make you happy, so just try it on.''

Senri decided to interject before Letizia could offer any protest. ''You know that Onee-sama won't let this go. It's better that you try it on before she just buys the dress without knowing whether it fits or not.''

Letizia narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in an attempt to stop herself from smiling. The older vampire knew that being on such friendly terms with her mistress would not be seen as appropriate by many of their kind and yet she could not actually being herself to care.

To Reika it was obvious that her friend quickly realized that it would make no sense to argue with the two siblings. The fight was lost before it even begun.

With a long suffering sigh, Letizia took the dress from its hanger and moved into the privacy of the changing rooms, a small smile curling her lips all the while.

* * *

Reika had never been in a french restaurant before.

She had tasted some french cuisine in this life, of course, but she had never actually been to a restaurant that exclusively served meals from that country. In truth she had not been in a great many restaurants as a whole.

Despite having gained a semblance of freedom, the girl still spent a large amount of her time inside the Shiki mansion. And when she did leave it, it was mostly to visit other members of their kind or to take a stroll through the small town nearby.

When her small family was finally seated at their table inside the establishment and the waiter brought them the menu, the onion soup on the list immediately caught the girl's attention. _Cienna's_ father used to make one of those and it had always tasted _horrible._ While he praised it as one of his best creations, the rest of their family did not even want to touch it.

Melancholic wasn't a strong enough word to describe how she felt once the waiter set the bowl down in front of her. The soup looked and tasted nothing how she remembered it - with the golden croutons on top and its rich flavor the meal seemed to be a work of art - and yet it still managed to make feel lost for a few seconds.

''Reika?'' Kaname questioned, his dark eyes focused on her face. ''Is the soup not to your taste?''

Blinking her trance away, the young pureblood answered a little breathlessly, ''No, no, it's not that. The soup is fine. More than that, actually, it's perfect.''

Even after all these years had passed, Reika still found herself feeling the loss of her previous life through small reminders such as this. What might have seemed to be inconsequential to most was sometimes enough to move the once-human to tears. Luckily, she had become rather adept in keeping her tears in, otherwise she would have managed to embarrass herself more than once in this new life of hers.

There was a small pause of hesitation during which Kaname carefully contemplated his next words. A little more than a year ago she would not have been capable of recognizing the skepticism mixed with the smallest hint of worry in his eyes. ''I see.''

''It was a good choice.'' Reika turned her gaze towards Letizia, quite obviously directing the attention away from herself. ''Do you like yours?''

''Mhm, yes, it's quite delicious,'' answered the aristocrat uncertainly. It was clear to everyone involved that she did not feel completely at ease with the situation.

Despite all the years Letizia had spent at Reika's side, she did not feel comfortable with dining with the two purebloods and Senri in such a formal setting. It might have had something to do with the two bodyguards, who shared a similar position with her and who had been forced to stay near the entrance of the restaurant to watch out for any threat towards their charges.

(...just like them Letizia was expected to throw herself in front of any threat posed towards the two Kurans and their younger sibling...

...

...in their society her life did not matter even half as much as theirs...)

Or it might have just been the pedestal purebloods and their direct offspring were put upon. Either way, Reika quickly dissolved any of the other girl's expectations. Letizia was her friend and after spending the whole day running around the city with her, Reika would not deny the other girl a meal with them.

Besides, it wasn't as if anyone was bothered by her presence. Senri saw the Italian as a somewhat older sister figure, while Kaname did not seem to have any opinion about her at all. The latter might not have sounded all too positive, but if one considered the few friends and many enemies her cousin had, then neutrality did not seem so bad after all. Reika also doubted that the older Kuran minded paying for the other girl's meal. Their family had more money than a human could actually spend in a lifetime and one meal would not put a dent into their accounts.

''That's good,'' hummed the brunette.

A short moment of silence followed, though it was quickly broken Senri who could probably sense the upcoming awkwardness and had decided to squash it at its roots. ''Did you manage to take care of your business, Kaname-onii-sama?''

For what felt like the thousandth time Reika wondered what she had actually done to deserve such a brother. She knew that Senri often worried about her, but that did not stop him from standing at her side even in situations like these. Just like her he had been taught to hide all his weaknesses and the young boy seemed to have taken it upon himself to do the same for his sister when she faltered. By asking Kaname that question he had hopefully managed to fully divert their companions' attention from the girl's earlier lapse as well as Letizia's mounting discomfort.

Pride blossomed in the female Kuran's chest as she turned towards her cousin with a rather self-satisfied smile on her face. ''Hm, what is it that you were doing exactly?''

There weren't many things in the world that Reika enjoyed as much as seeing things go her way.

''I was visiting an old acquaintance. We haven't seen each other for a while and I found it prudent to come by,'' the ancestor explained smoothly.

(...something in Reika twinged _painfully_...

...

...reading between the lines wasn't hard in this case and the conclusion that he had probably been at Cross Academy to see his _sister_ was a surprisingly unpleasant one...

...

...

...proficiently, the pureblood chose to hide her discomfort behind a _fake_ smile...)

''An old acquaintance?'' Senri regarded their cousin curiously.

Kaname nodded his head. ''Yes, he is an old friend of my mother.''

Letting go of her spoon, the female Kuran wiped her mouth with a napkin and then chose to join the conversation. ''They must have been _very_ good friends for him to still keep contact with you.''

Something must have shown on her face because Kaname narrowed his eyes. ''They were.''

Momentarily, Reika regretted her terse answer. She did not want to anger the other vampire and neither did she want to seem suspicious to him. ''My apologies, I did not mean to imply anything.''

What was her problem? Was it the sudden reminder of what was soon to come or perhaps the knowledge that despite the fact that both Senri and Reika had started to see Kaname as a part of their _family,_ he would probably never consider them in the same manner.

(...in life, family should always come first...

...

...and Yuki, well, Yuki was the only person Kaname would ever put above himself...)

The ancestor blinked and his gaze immediately softened minutely. ''It's alright.''

But the sad thing was that in reality, _nothing_ was alright.

* * *

Watching Senri during his training always managed to calm something deep within Reika.

(...Just like every other vampire she kept a _monster_ hidden deep within herself...

...

...masked only by a childish face and an innocent demeanor...

...

...

...that very same monster seemed to _purr_ in satisfaction when it saw that _its_ brother could protect himself...)

The knowledge that Senri actually knew how to defend himself from the dangers of their world reassured the female Kuran immensely. She knew that he would never be strong enough to fight each and every one of their foes, but the same could be said about herself.

(...silently, the girl vowed to herself that this would not stop her from fighting for her brother ever again...

...

...she had failed Senri once already and a repeat of that was not something she would allow to happen ever again...)

There was something very fascinating about her brother's power. Perhaps it was the fact that he manipulated the one thing that defined all of their lives. Or perhaps it was the way his aura kept getting stronger through the years.

Shiki Senri was the child of a pureblood. This alone meant that he had an immense potential when it came to raw power. He would never be Reika's equal in that field, but he would come as close as any aristocrat ever could.

For now, the younger vampire could only manipulate his own blood into a whip, but his teachers theorized that this might change in the future. Some believed that he would be able to change his blood into other weapons as well when he got older, while others thought that he might learn to manipulate blood that wasn't his someday. This would take time and a lot of practice, of course.

Still, the prospects seemed to be promising.

For foreseeable future, his instructors focused on teaching him different fighting styles that incorporated his whip as a weapon. The regular consumption of Reika's blood strengthened her brother's general constitution and presented him with another advantage during fights. He was faster and stronger than his aristocratic peers and his senses seemed to also be heightened. All this made evading and attacking his opponents easier and the instructors made sure to show her brother how to use all this to his advantage.

Reika could only hope that all that would be enough to keep her brother safe in the future.

* * *

Curiosity was something Reika knew very well.

It was also something, as the girl was forced to learn, she should abstain from. After all, it seemed to cause her more trouble than it was actually worth.

With the taste of ashes on tongue, Reika squinted her eyes at the rosy liquid in the glass before her. Next to it was a small package of _blood tablets_ , the current cause of her problems.

The girl had often seen her cousin drinking a concoction with one of those and she could not understand how he did that without grimacing even the slightest bit. Her own face was currently contorted in disgust as she tried to open a water bottle.

''I told you this wasn't a good idea,'' muttered Senri, his lips twitching in amusement.

A glare was sent in the younger vampire's direction. ''Shut up.''

Instead of following her instruction, Senri chose to snicker. His eyes lightened with amusement and stopped Reika from uttering a snarky remark.

Besides, it wasn't as if she could really blame him for laughing at her mistake. Reika had known from the beginning on that blood tablets were nothing tasty. She had just never expected that they were quite this rancid. Why Kaname chose to take them instead of consuming fresh blood was something the female Kuran could not comprehend.

''You should have just listened to me,'' the aristocrat said as he pushed an empty glass towards her. ''I've heard the maids talking about the tablets and they did not sound even the smallest bit pleased.''

Reika rolled her eyes. ''I just wanted to be prepared for the future. Who knows, there might actually come a time when we'll be forced to satisfy our hunger with those.''

''But that's the problem, isn't it?'' The pureblood's brother begun. ''They don't satisfy our thirst at all.''

''No, they don't, but they have enough nutrients to keep us alive,'' explained Reika. Afterwards she poured some water into her glass and swallowed a few large gulps of it.

Her gaze shifted to the cup with the pinkish fluid inside of it. ''Anyway, I heard that they still perfecting the formula, so the tablets might taste better in the future.''

''You don't actually believe that, do you?'' His voice was incredulous.

''No.'' A wry smile graced her lips. ''But I do hope so.''

Senri shook his head, an unusually pensive expression appearing on his face. ''No amount of hope will ever be enough to change reality.''

Guessing what exactly he meant with that statement wasn't hard. Reika's brother rarely had such an expression on his face, most often it appeared when he thought about his mother. ''Hoping and wishing rarely leads to anything as long as no actions follow. And even then there are some things that can't be changed no matter the amount of trying.''

The understanding in Senri's eyes _hurt_ something deep within the pureblood. She knew that her brother had long since lost most of his childish innocence and yet the girl always hoped that he had retained a little more of it than there actually was.

Reika always felt incredibly astounded when she saw this mature side of him. Senri was only eleven years old and way too young to have such a mature outlook. Whether this was something caused by their childhood or vampirism was something Reika did not dare to guess.

Ignorance truly was a bliss, after all.

''Though, you also have to consider that with power and a high enough social standing almost everything can be achieved,'' Reika said, her eyes gleaming in the dim room.

''A high enough social standing, huh?'' Senri leaned his head against his palm. ''Then it's a good thing that as a pureblood you stand above us all, ne, Onee-sama?''

A lesson they have been taught many times.

Reika smiled darkly. ''Yes, and as my brother you shall always stand _alongside_ me.''


	11. Chapter 11

**Please leave a review.**

 **As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 11_

 _Bitter And Sick_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _How She Came To Be_

* * *

 _"Because what's worse than knowing you want something, besides knowing you can never have it?"_  
 _― James Patterson, The Angel Experiment_

 _"Unrequited love is the infinite curse of a lonely heart."_  
 _― Christina Westover_

* * *

The chess pieces glimmered in the dim light of the room as Kaname moved his queen, holding it between his pointer finger and thumb, and checked its white counterpart.

''Checkmate,'' he stated in an unimpressed sort of way. This was the third round he had won that evening, so Reika could not really fault her cousin for his dry tone.

Besides, she had done especially bad during this round, not even having had the will to truly fight. It was hard to feel any enthusiasm towards a game she had not won even once.

Reika hummed disinterestedly, ''Well, that went really fast.''

''You weren't even trying.'' By now the female Kuran knew her cousin well enough to recognize an accusation for what it was.

''Can you truly blame me?'' She rolled her eyes. ''I lost the will to try in the first few weeks of us playing this game. When it comes to chess, you should really work on your teaching skills.''

Having someone repeatedly annihilate you in something competitive did nothing good to your confidence and will to continue fighting. While some may enjoy being taught the hard way, Reika just found it discouraging.

''Would you really learn anything if I coddled you all the time?'' Kaname questioned earnestly, reminding Reika of the fact that he came from an era when tough love was probably the only love one could afford.

''Is this the point at which I should consider myself lucky because you don't really seem to apply this logic to our training?'' countered the girl instead of answering his question.

Although the expression on his face did not change, Reika still shudder at what she perceived to be a positively evil glint in the other pureblood's eyes. ''Perhaps that was a mistake.''

Recognizing the rather serious intent behind those words - though she also knew her cousin well enough to notice that he was not only warning but also teasing her with this statement - Reika decided to backpedal before she got too far ahead of herself. ''How is your project with Kaien Cross coming along? I heard that the council still isn't too happy with the whole idea.''

''I know what you're doing.'' His lips curled upwards into a minuscule smile, his eyes warm despite the exasperation so clearly reflected within them. That action alone, no matter how small and unnoticeable it might have seemed to others, filled Reika with a warm fondness towards this ancient being. ''And to answer your question, things are going fairly well, despite the council's rather unfavorable opinions.''

With an ease attained by a weekly repetition, Kaname started arranging the chess pieces on their proper place on the board. ''The dormitories for what we've decided to call the Night Class are currently being prepared. It will still take some time until they're all satisfactory, but we should be finished soon enough.''

''Night Class?'' An amused upturn of her lips followed that questioning statement. ''That's not very original, hmm?''

''What would you have called them?" inquired the older vampire, the inflection in his voice clearly showing what he thought about Reika's opinion on the topic.

''I'm not sure, but certainly something that would have kept most humans from trying to apply for those classes.'' Reika paused in contemplation. ''If it were clearly stated that those classes can only be visited by, I don't know, students with 'special qualities' or something like that, the headmaster would probably have at least a little less paperwork to deal with.''

Kaname shook his head in disagreement. ''A name like that would only set us further apart from the human students and that's not what this project stands for or is meant to achieve.''

''And what is the true purpose of this project? You can't actually believe that it will prove that humans and vampires are capable of coexisting.'' Rosy eyes widened incredulously. ''We may pretend to be like them for a year or two, but ultimately, we're not.''

Out of all the people in the world, Reika knew this the best. After all, she was aware of how it was to be a human _and_ a vampire.

''Just because our two races are different from each other does not mean that there can't be any peace between us,'' he countered easily.

''You don't actually believe that, do you?'' From what Reika knew, this seemed to be more of Kuran Juuri's rather than Kaname's dream. ''They are our prey and as if that wasn't enough, our cultures, ideals and lifestyles completely vary from each other.''

Reika sighed resignedly and then continued her explanation. ''Humans have it easier in life and that's...that's something many of us envy, no matter the fact that only very few vampires would ever admit such a thing.''

Nodding his head, the ancestor regarded her with something akin to curiosity in his eyes. ''Well, their shorter lifespans do allow them to live in the now and enjoy every moment they have on this earth.''

''You know it's not just that,'' stated Reika pointedly. ''Unlike us, they're capable of finding joy in the smallest of things, while most of us have lost such an ability due to our wealth and perceived superiority.'' Her expression twisted bitterly. ''You know, it might be sacrilegious of me to say that, but sometimes-'' _Always._ ''Well, sometimes, I wish that I were born _human_.''

In Kaname's eyes, Reika only found understanding.

* * *

Creating a familiar was an advanced pureblood power. It was also something that took Reika about five years of training to master even in just a weak form.

Still, seeing the small, not quite solid bat fluttering above her palm filled the girl with an immeasurable amount of pride. Her familiar might not have been perfect - it was quite blurry around the edges, actually - but it was the best one she had created up to today.

(...she did not miss the irony in her choice of form...

...

...a bat probably wasn't the most original familiar a vampire could come up with...

...

...  
...it made her think about those old vampire movies she had watched once upon a time and for a moment she wondered whether she should buy herself a red coat similar to the one Dracula wore in 1990s movie version...)

Later, when she perfected this ability of hers, the female vampire would not be limited to just such a small and weak form. Like her cousin, she should be capable of creating beasts such as wolves or wild cats in the future.

For now, Reika was quite satisfied with her first successful familiar. She could already feel the shaky connection to the shadowy animal and while this would not help her in any fight, the bat would certainly be useful when it came to spying.

Not that she would be doing that anytime soon. Trying to spy on someone without being truly proficient at it would just be stupid and lead to more enemies than Reika could afford.

''Try to make it move,'' instructed Kaname, his hand hovering beneath her own.

Such a thing was easier said than done.

In an attempt to concentrate, Reika closed her eyes, only to be surprised by the fact that she could still see. The blurriness around the edges and sudden inferiority in comparison to her normal eyesight immediately startled the girl into opening her rosy orbs.

It was only once she witnessed the bat dispersing due to her lack of concentration that she realized what had actually happened.

The pureblood had known of this possibility, of course, and yet seeing through her familiar's eyes still managed to incredibly startle her. This might have been due to the sudden impairment of her eyesight. During her years as a vampire, Reika had gotten used to her superior eyesight and having it suddenly taken from her was rather frightening.

Until now, the brunette had not realized how much she had actually come to rely on her new senses.

''Ah.'' Kaname brushed his hands against hers to garner the girl's attention. ''You'll get used to it. In time, the blurriness will get less disorienting and you'll stop feeling, well, in lack of better words, so bereft.''

''It's horrible, I don't know how the humans can deal with such a thing,'' said Reika, cringing almost immediately afterwards. She had once been human and her then sister used to need glasses.

''I guess it's just the way the world is.'' A soft breeze ruffled his hair. ''Besides, I believe that we experience such things differently. There are no creatures in worlds whose senses are stronger than ours. It's both a gift and curse, you see, because having just one of our senses impaired can leave us dangerously crippled during a fight.''

Tilting her head backwards, Reika focused her clear gaze on the moon. ''So, you're saying that we rely too much on our abilities.''

''Perhaps.'' There was something very contemplative about his voice. ''Vampires are very proud creatures. Proud in quantities that often lead to arrogance. We believe so firmly into our own superiority that we do not see how easily exploitable our weaknesses are. This is what might actually lead to our downfall some day.''

(...was this how her ancestor would slaughter the whole Vampire Council in the future?...

...

...by exploiting their weaknesses and showing them how _inferior_ they truly are in comparison to him?...)

''You know, despite all my wishes, I don't think that I would actually make a good human,'' concluded the brunette, her gaze still firmly stuck on the night sky.

This singular fact was something that bothered Reika immensely. She had once been a human and she would have preferred to have been reborn as one, but that did not change the reality that she would never fit into such a life again. Nowadays, the girl thought and acted like a vampire - like a predator constantly looking at her prey - and she did not think that suddenly becoming human would change that.

She would still act like a pureblood, see an enemy in each person she met and not bother to hide her disregard to life as a whole.

''You would certainly be better than me.'' That statement managed to startle a laugh out of Reika. She could not actually imagine her ten thousand years old ancestor living a human life.

He would be like a fish out of water.

(...Though, that wasn't entirely true, was it?...

...

...without his memories, there would be nothing that could stop him from leading a normal human life...)

Those thoughts were rather sobering and caused the disappearance of all the mirth from Reika's eyes.

One day, Kaname would lose everything that made him into the person he was and then be given a human life to live.

Her heart ached.

Could that even be considered a life? Although Reika disliked her new existence, she still preferred it to completely losing herself.

The loss did not outweigh the gain.

(...she ignored the part of herself that could not imagine spending a thousand years without her cousin at her side...

...

...despite all the fear Kaname used to inspire in her, he had somehow become an important constant in her life...

...

...

...out of all the people Reika cared about, he was the only one as never-ending as herself...

...

...

. _..he was not meant to leave her alone in this world...)_

With her good mood lost, Reika lowered herself onto the ground, staring pensively at the sky and not saying another thing for the rest of the evening.

* * *

Takehiko used to have plans.

Plans for his and his family's future. They mostly involved securing and rising the Shiki name's status in their world, as well as making sure that he along with his sister and nephew always stood at the right side of the upcoming war.

Banding together with Ichijo Asato had seemed to be a good way to secure all of his dreams and aspirations a few years ago.

The older man was a cunning and powerful politician who shared many of Takehiko's own beliefs. Asato wanted a world without pureblood supremacy, a world where a man like Kuran Rido could have never harmed his sister.

It was mostly the fact that the older aristocrat seemed to have Rido under his thumb that convinced Takehiko of the rightness of his cause.

 _Purebloods, while essential for the survival of their kind, should not be trusted with leading them._

They were too powerful and most often completely incapable of understanding and emphasizing with those of a lower status. How could they ever do such a thing, when they saw themselves as utterly above anyone else?

To purebloods, those who did not belong to them were akin to steppingstones; useful at the moment but utterly inconsequential as a whole.

While Takehiko could understand their general apathy, he could never accept the way they treated those surrounding them.

 _He could never accept what they had done to his_ beloved _sister._

Hiromi had never been the most well-adjusted person, but she had been relatively _sane_ once. She had been happy and full of life just a few years ago, always ready to stand at her older brother's side when it was needed. The two siblings had survived together for centuries, supporting and making each other happy all the while.

They were meant to spend their whole lives together as equals and not as caretaker and person in need of almost constant supervision.

Nowadays, Takehiko could not even recognize his own sister in the shell of a woman that she had become due to the involvement of Kuran Rido.

(...why wasn't her brother _enough_ for her?...

...

...why couldn't he have been her _Beloved_ as she was his?...)

He supposed that it would have been easy for him to hate the offspring of the man who had played pretend with his sister, only to then rub his charade directly into her face once she was finally carrying his child.

 _(...Kuran Rido had been Shiki Hiromi's Beloved..._

 _..._

 _...or at least the man she had believed him to be had been held in such an impossibly high regard..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _...finding out the truth_ broke _her...)_

And yet he could not necessarily bring himself to hate either Senri or Reika. This, of course did not mean that he loved the children, especially the latter, but he wasn't out to harm them either. Not that it would have been possible for him to do so these days.

Takehiko might have been many things, blind, however, wasn't one of them.

Since Kuran Kaname entered their home, the aristocrat had to be especially careful around the siblings. This only seemed to become more pressing as the years passed.

Whether anyone else noticed or not, Shiki Takehiko saw and more importantly _understood_ the way the older Kuran looked at his female cousin.

At thirteen and twelve respectively, the two Kuran's still seemed to not realize what their relationship was slowly shaping up to be. They did not seem to realize the way they _gravitated_ towards each other. The way their very auras _sparked_ in the other's presence.

Unlike them, Takehiko did all that and more. It wasn't hard for him to recognize the danger those two would grow up to be. He had long since come to the conclusion that whatever the council planned for those two would never actually come into fruition.

 _After all, no one could ever control the_ monster _that was Kuran Kaname or those that were close to him._


	12. Chapter 12

**So, I've actually managed to write three full chapters for this story and start another one this week. I'll update the next one in about two weeks and the one after most probably on Christmas.**

 **Right one, 'To Rule World' is my favorite story of all the ones I've written, so hopefully I'll manage to write at least two more chapters before inspiration leaves me once again.**

 **Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Have fun.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 12_

 _Game Of Survival_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _How They Differed_

* * *

 _"How dreadful...to be caught up in a game and have no idea of the rules."_

 _― Caroline Stevermer, Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot_

* * *

Reika had wondered for a while now how Senri would actually get into modelling.

Her most probable guess had been that Rima, who had taken part in some shootings in the last year, would introduce him to the right people.

What she had not expected was for her brother to get accosted in the middle of the street when she wasn't looking and then be swept away to an immediate shooting.

Luckily, Letizia stayed at his side throughout the whole thing and informed Reika about their location, otherwise the pureblood might have worried herself to death.

(...the Italian knew her well enough by now to realize that her priority in their little arrangement should never be Reika herself but _Senri...)_

After she calmed herself down, Reika continued her little shopping trip and then went home by herself.

Takehiko's expression at her lonesome appearance had to be the most amusing thing the girl had seen in weeks. For a second it looked as if he would suffer from a heart attack at any moment now. He quickly composed himself, but the damage had already been done and Reika would _never_ forget that glorious moment.

That evening, when her brother and friend returned, the brunette welcomed them with a gleeful smile and a detailed description of the sight she had been blessed with.

She did not know why Takehiko had reacted the way he had. She could only guess that he feared the trouble he might get into if someone ever found out that Reika was strolling through the streets by herself, without anyone there in case of an attack. Or perhaps he had thought that something bad had happened to his nephew. A mix of both was also possible.

At the end, his reasoning did not matter.

Neither did her amusement. It could not prevail in the face of the delight she felt when she realized how happy this shooting had made her brother.

The girl did not know what exactly had made him feel so content, but she would make sure that he would have it again.

If modelling made him happy, then Reika would ensure that he could do it as long as he liked to.

There wasn't much in the world that mattered as much to the girl as her brother's happiness.

* * *

''That's just stupid,'' uttered Senri as he stuffed another bite of his sandwich into his mouth, completely ignoring the crumbs of bread that fell not only onto his trousers but on the couch as well.

Reika rolled her eyes. ''It's meant to be that way. Reality shows are generally there to amuse people, not to educate them.''

''I don't find this particularly amusing.'' Another bite of his sandwich disappeared after he muttered that statement. Due to the way body slumped against her own, a few few crumbs landed on her own skirt now as well.

Snorting, the pureblood pushed her brother's head away from her shoulder. ''That's because you've got the soul of a boring old man.''

''Yeah, sure.'' He paused almost dramatically. ''Or perhaps you're just as unsophisticated as the rest of the people who watch this shit.''

For a second Reika wondered whether she should scold her brother for using crude language, but then decided that she could let it slide. Senri knew better than to speak that way in public or with polite company and scolding him might only make the boy feel uncomfortable in her presence.

Instead, the girl chose to tease him a little. ''Unsophisticated? Since when do you know such big words?''

A red hue stained his pale cheeks. ''I do read books, you know. Besides, I'm not a little kid anymore.''

Smiling in bemusement, Reika nodded her head. ''Of course, you're already twelve.''

Fondness filled the brunette's chest when she saw the way Senri puffed out his cheeks in indignation - the boy had still not realized how adorable that action always made him look - though it quickly disappeared when her ears picked up on two unknown pairs of footsteps approaching their home.

After all these years, Reika had become intimately familiar with the way her family members walked. Nowadays, she could easily identify them by the sounds they made while they approached her. This also meant that the girl quickly realized that whoever was walking towards the door was no one she had met before.

The fact that no vampire would just turn up unannounced made the whole situation even more disconcerting.

''Stay here, Senri,'' murmured Reika, her good mood forgotten and replaced by caution.

Kaname wasn't at home which meant that Reika was currently the strongest person in the house. Takehiko not being there right now as well only made the whole situation even more pressing.

Getting rid of whoever was at their door was the girl's current priority. They could come back when either her cousin or uncle were there, but until then they were not welcome at the Shiki mansion.

Perhaps, if she was lucky, it would turn out that they were just a pair of lost humans searching for a phone or the right way home.

(...who was she kidding?...)

Slipping on her impassive mask, Reika slowly started making her way towards the door. Trepidation filled her with every step she took and her power, agitated as it was, roiled underneath her skin.

For the last few days Takehiko and Kaname had been behaving peculiarly. If she did not know better, the girl might have even claimed that both vampires were avoiding her.

And now came this impromptu visit from two strangers.

Something bad was going on, she did not know what exactly, but it certainly bode nothing good for her or those close to her. Thoughts of her father and all the trouble he could have caused for them came to her mind as the girl crossed the last few feet towards her destination. Reika arrived there just in time to open the door before one of her _guests_ could knock on the wooden entrance.

The two men at her doorsteps were rather nondescript in looks - humans generally were when compared to vampires - and did not even try to hide their antagonistic attitudes towards her. Their glares, although fearsome, did not manage to really scare the young pureblood. She had faced her cousin and his unimaginable power at the physical age of five, a pair of humans could not compare to that.

What did manage to inspire a very particular terror within the girl, however, was the katana strapped to one of the strangers' waists.

 _Hunters, a pair of vampire hunters was standing in front of her._

Unconsciously, the girl took a step away from the danger before her, fully aware that they were in the possession of some of the only weapons in the world that could actually _kill_ her.

''Kuran Reika, I presume,'' stated the taller one of them as a soft breeze brushed some of his blonde hair away from his face.

Adjusting her expression, the female vampire nodded her head. ''Yes.''

''Good, good.'' He tilted his head to the side and regarded her as one would an especially interesting insect. ''My name is Takahashi Nobuo and this is my partner Watanabe Katashi. We've been sent by the Hunter's Association to interview you in relation to one of our cases.''

Dread immediately bloomed within Reika's stomach. She had an idea what this whole thing could be about. ''My guardian isn't currently at home. I think it would be better if you came back later.''

Nobuo smiled humorlessly. ''We've gone to a great trouble to come here today. I'm afraid this meeting can't be rescheduled.''

Reading the hidden meaning of those words was easy enough; they wanted to see her without either Takehiko or Kaname present.

Most probably having seen the uncertainty in her eyes, the blonde took a step forward and invited himself and his partner rudely into her home. Reika had no other choice but to step to side and let them in. The girl had a feeling that had she not done so, then the man would have probably walked straight into her out of spite.

''I,'' she started and quickly backtracked. Her gaze flickered nervously towards the staircase where Letizia had appeared just a handful of seconds ago. Hopefully, the girl understood her pleading look and would try to reach either Kaname or Takehiko as fast as she could. ''Why don't you follow me into the living room while Chinatsu prepares some tea for us.''

The hunter inclined his head. ''Of course.''

Together, they strode to the living room, keeping completely quiet all the while. Reika did not like the idea of having a pair of hunters in the same space as her brother, but she preferred having him next to her in case that they would be forced to retreat from their home.

Senri instantly perked up when he saw her entering the room, his gaze roving over her and then moving to their _guests._ At once, his expression shuttered off, the danger the two hunters represented registering in his mind.

''Onee-sama.'' His greeting was accompanied by the angered shrieks of one of the women participating in the dating show on the television. Had the situation not been as serious as it was, then Reika might have laughed at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. As it was, she just concentrated on the remote and used her powers to turn the TV off.

''Senri, these are Takahashi-san and Watanabe-san,'' she murmured, her eyes flashing minutely in warning. She needed for her brother to behave right now. ''They've been sent by the Hunter's Association to question me.''

Hesitantly, the young boy turned towards the hunters. ''It's nice to meet you, Takahashi-san, Watanabe-san.''

An almost imperceptible snort was the only answer he received. It seemed that both men were not inclined to show too much courtesy to the beings they were trained to kill. Choosing to ignore this slight, Reika pointed at the couch and offered the blonde and his partner a seat.

They did not wait for Reika to lower herself onto the seating first, which was another affront that would normally be not accepted among their kind.

A short silence followed during which the two parties sized each other up. It couldn't have lasted for more than a handful of seconds and yet Reika still found herself to be incredibly grateful when it was interrupted by Chinatsu arriving with the tea. The head maid put porcelain cups down on the low table in front of them in an orderly fashion and then, instead of leaving the room like she normally would, positioned herself at Reika's and Senri's side.

''Well, there is no time for us to dally,'' the blonde started after it became clear that Chinatsu would not be leaving the room. ''We're here because four days ago Hio Shizuka murdered two of our own and then proceeded to take one of their sons.''

Although the news were not surprising, all blood still seemed to leave Reika's face within less than a second.

''We haven't been able to find her as of yet. She's disappeared without a trace and we suspect that she had an accomplice or at least someone who aided her in her escape,'' finished Nobuo, his eyes pointedly looking at her.

A hysterical part of her wanted to laugh. With some difficulty, Reika forced herself to keep her composure to not give away any weakness. ''You think _I_ helped her.''

''You're her daughter, _Kuran,''_ he stated, spitting out her name as if it was the gravest insult in the world.

Next to Senri, Chinatsu bristled visibly at the disrespect shown towards the pureblood. What she thought about the two humans in the room was shown very clearly on her face and for a moment the brunette feared that the older vampire might interfere. Luckily, the woman knew better than that and kept quiet.

''That doesn't matter.'' Reika gulped softly and a small part of her couldn't help thinking that perhaps it _should_ have. ''I haven't actually ever met the woman. She took care of me for few weeks after I was born and then gave me away.''

''To Kuran Rido, if I'm not wrong.'' He said it as if he was putting forward evidence for some great crime the girl had committed. As if she had chosen to have two mad murderers as her parents and would thus be just like them.

She had to stop herself from baring her fangs angrily. ''I was raised by the Shiki household.''

''So you've had no contact to either of your parents since you were an infant?'' questioned the man, the accusation in his voice very clear.

''My father has been a part of my life up until I was about five years old. He disappeared afterwards.'' Her eyes narrowed. ''Though, I don't see what this has to do with your investigation.''

Nobuo hummed. ''Your parents were engaged. Is it so far off to believe that they would help each other?''

''You seem to be very well informed about my family.'' Reika smiled mockingly, her body angling in a way that it hid Senri from the hunter's view. ''Shouldn't you know then that my mother _loathes_ my father more then anyone else in the world?''

It was Katashi who answered her. ''Is that why she gave you away so easily?''

 _Is that why she abandoned you?_

Reika gnashed her teeth angrily, cutting herself unintentionally with her fangs for the first time in years. The blood pooled in her mouth and the whole household literary froze for a second to check on the happenings inside the living room. To check if anyone had dared to hurt her. ''I wouldn't know. Perhaps you can ask her, should you ever actually manage to find her, that is. It doesn't seem all too likely, though, hmm?''

Anger flared in Katashi's eyes, his hand instantly moving towards where Reika suspected his weapon was hidden. His partner stopped him before he could pull it out by taking a tight hold of his wrist. That gesture did not mean much in the grand scheme of things. The exact moment the younger hunter - Was the Hunter's Association truly stupid enough to send what was obviously a greenie to talk with her? - showed even the smallest intent to harm them, Reika had removed herself and Senri from his immediate vicinity, Chinatsu putting herself immediately between the danger and the two siblings.

A tense and silent pause followed during which a familiar aura brushed against Reika's own.

 _Kaname, Kaname was on his way to them._

Senri's shoulders relaxed infinitesimally and Reika realized, more than a little grateful, that their cousin had blanketed her brother in his aura as well.

''I think you should leave now.'' Her eyes flashed dangerously. ''You're not welcome here anymore.''

Enraged, Katashi spluttered, ''Your _fucking_ mother killed my cousin and you think you've got a right to tell me whether I'm welcome somewhere or not.''

''That's enough, Katashi,'' hissed Nobuo, stopping his fellow hunter from advancing towards the vampires. ''You're too involved. I should have never taken you with me.''

 _Obviously,_ Reika thought, pushing her brother a little more behind herself.

Whatever the younger man was going to say next, though it certainly would have been nothing nice, was stopped by the sound of the front door being opened. Familiar footsteps tickled her ears and within seconds Kaname appeared in the room. Due to the irate roiling of his aura Reika guessed that he was none too pleased.

''What's going on here?'' questioned the ancestor, his voice calm and deadly.

Using some of his few brain cells, Katashi chose to stay quiet this time around. Even he seemed to notice the sudden change in the air. The tide had very obviously turned against him.

''Nothing.'' Nobuo's gaze did not dare leave Kaname's form. ''We were just about to leave.''

Kaname, who had moved himself protectively in front of both Senri and her, regarded the two hunters without a single emotion crossing his face. It had to be the most terrifying expression Reika had ever seen. ''It doesn't seem that way. I never pegged the Hunter's Association to be as unprofessional as you present it.''

The blonde cleared his throat. ''My apologies. It seems that I've misjudged my partner's readiness for this endeavor.''

''So it seems.'' Kaname nodded his head grimly. ''The next time you decided to interrogate my cousin, you'll be expected to arrange a meeting with me in attendance.''

Reika saw the exact moment both Nobuo and Katashi realized that they had lost their only chance at getting anything useful out of her. Gleeful wasn't an even halfway strong enough word to describe how she was currently feeling.

A familiar and by now comforting force filled the whole room, caressing Reika's skin gently. Considering the way both hunters flinched unbidden, it was obvious that they did not receive the same tender treatment. ''As my cousin has already told you, you've outstayed you welcome. _Leave.''_

No one argued this time around. They heeded Kaname's words wisely after uttering halfhearted goodbyes.

Once Chinatsu finished showing them out, the ancestor turned towards them and Reika finally allowed herself to relax. ''Thank you.''

''There is nothing to thank me for,'' said Kaname, his gaze roaming over both her and Senri as if checking for injuries. ''Are you alright?''

Reika murmured her affirmation while Senri nodded his head and moved until he stood at the older Kuran's side. ''Thank you for helping us, Onii-sama.''

Gently, Kaname ruffled the smaller boy's hair. ''Like I said, it was nothing.''

A by now all too well-known feeling welled up within Reika's chest as she watched this easy display of affection, her gaze softening without her notice. She gravitated towards the two boys, her arm brushing against Kaname's and hand taking a hold of Senri's wrist.

Despite the happenings of the day, Kuran Reika was feeling content.

* * *

Later that evening, after Senri had gone to sleep, the two purebloods sat together in the gardens. Both of them had an open book in their hands, though only one was focused on the words written in it.

''You should have told me,'' said Reika once she finally gathered the courage to do so.

Slowly, Kaname's eyes looked up and clashed with her rosy orbs. He did not say a thing, so the girl decided to elaborate what she meant. ''You should have told me what my mother had done. The hunters' visit would not have taken me by surprise then.''

Something dark flashed within his eyes. ''The hunters were never supposed to be here.''

''Even so, it would have been nice to know that Shizuka had been sighted for the first time in years.'' Disappointment colored her voice. ''Or that she had gone off and murdered a family of hunters.''

''She did not kill the children,'' declared Kaname as he snapped his book shut.

''And that makes it better how? One of the boys is gone and he might as well be dead for all we know.'' Reika combed a hand through her long curls. Kiryu Ichiru wasn't dead, the girl knew that but her cousin didn't.

Kaname sighed almost silently. ''I doubt that. She probably changed...''

Realizing what he was about to say, the older Kuran stopped. They both knew that being changed into a vampire was often a fate worse than death.

''I think you're missing the point here, Kaname-onii-sama.'' She looked him right in the eyes to convey the seriousness of her words. ''You shouldn't have hidden this from me.''

''I won't apologize.'' He looked up at the moon overhead. ''Getting you involved would have been dangerous.''

Reika laughed humorlessly. ''But I did get involved, didn't I?''

''If it had been up to me, you wouldn't have.'' The way he said that made clear how little remorse he actually felt.

''The thing is though, that it's not up to you, _Kaname.''_ Her heart throbbed painfully. ''The world isn't a chessboard and I'm certainly not one of your pieces.''

She left him then, not wanting to hear another meaningless repetition of his earlier words.

* * *

Following the incident with the hunters, the atmosphere between Reika and Kaname was rather tense for a few days. They did not talk with each other and Reika tried to avoid her cousin as much as she could. The initial gratitude she had felt due to his help had been replaced with anger at his lack of remorse and understanding.

Being reminded of her cousin's manipulative nature did not help her feel better either. Kaname had become arrogant due to his age and that became very clear in the way he treated the people surrounding him.

No one was exempt from that, not _Yuki_ and certainly not Reika.

Still, being angry at him was more tiring than it was actually worth, so the girl slowly started warming up to her cousin again after a few days had passed.

There would come a day when she would have to address his behavior once again, but for now she would let it go.

Besides, there was no time for her to argue with her family when she was faced with another ball and the consecutive interaction with hostile aristocrats. They had to present a united front to the world and that would have been impossible, if they kept arguing between themselves.

Thus, when the evening of Ichijo Asato's birthday finally arrived, the two of them were on speaking terms again albeit still slightly stilted around each other.

No one besides perhaps Senri and Takehiko noticed, of course. Outwardly, they played their roles perfectly. By now, it was a very familiar game of pretend and even with the current state of their relationship Reika did not have to worry about slipping.

''Happy birthday, Ichio-san,'' congratulated Reika once they reached the man, her hand tucked firmly in the crock of Kaname's elbow.

Without a pause, the ancestor continued their well-wishes. ''May many centuries still lay ahead of you.''

The blonde vampire smiled pleasantly, ''Thank you, Reika-sama, Kaname-sama.'' His gaze slid over their shoulders. ''Perhaps we could speak each other later. There is something I need to take care of.''

Reika almost sighed in relief as Kaname inclined his head. ''Of course.''

Not much time passed until the pair was approached by another aristocrat. Regrettably, she was too old by now to get away with the excuse of going to play with the other children, thus she was forced to partake in this stuffy event. Though, in view of Asato's company, not many people seemed all to unpleasant, so Reika wasn't too perturbed.

Besides, exchanging pleasantries had become second nature to her nowadays. The girl had never known that one could get muscle cramps from fake smiling too much.

About an hour after the birthday celebration begun, the dancing started. This time, the opening dance was performed by Asato and his French Beloved Annette.

Kaname did not waste any time before asking her for a dance. Once the blonde pair in the center of the room finished, the ancestor immediately swept her onto the dance floor. Just like the rest of the evenings proceedings, this had become a familiar routine as well. Although, unlike the rest, dancing was also very _comforting._ Reika could easily lose herself in the graceful movements and forget, even if just for a minute or two, _whom_ Kaname truly and what the world had in store for the two of them.

(...and, if a part of her hated herself for still feeling _safe_ in her ancestor's arms despite having been recently reminded of _what_ a person he truly was then...

...

...well, then Reika just ignored it proficiently...)

A warm breath brushing over her ear snapped her out of her thoughts. His whisper was so silent that only she could hear it. ''You know that I wasn't trying to hurt you, don't you?''

Now? He really wanted to do this now? ''This time, you mean.''

''You think I would hurt you.'' His hand tightened almost imperceptibly around her waist.

Reika's smile was more of a grimace rather than anything else. _''I know you will.''_


	13. Chapter 13

**Just like I promised, here is the next chapter. There is some more bonding between Kaname and Reika here as well as some of her musings.**

 **Thank you for all of your nice comments and encouraging words.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 13_

 _Here With Me_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where She Grieved What Was Lost_

* * *

 _"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear."_  
 _― C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed_

 _"So it's true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love."_  
 _― E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly,_

* * *

Things went back to normal after a while. Reika had never been good at staying angry at the people whom she cared about and Kaname, unfortunately, was one of them nowadays.

Fact was that she had always known that Kaname wasn't _good._ Known that some might even consider him to be nothing but a _monster_.

It was not surprising to see him act that way. Kaname was a master manipulator who had gotten used to having things go his way. After ten-thousand years the ancestor had become arrogant, though not entirely without reason. Taking into consideration the way he sometimes looked at the people they interacted with, Reika could only guess how inconsequential and most times perhaps even stupid their reasoning and incentives must have seemed to him. Every single one of them would die within a few centuries or millennia at most anyway, while he would continue existing as he was until the world turned to ashes and he disappeared alongside it.

Right now she could not fully understand his views, but that would certainly change in the future.

Besides, deep down Reika knew that in his own way, Kaname cared about both her and Senri.

 _(...he had to...)_

And it wasn't as if he treated Yuki any differently in the anime. He shaped her life for her and dictated every single thing that would happen in it.

To the older Kuran, even those closest to him must have seemed like nothing but _children._ Children who could not be trusted with making the right decisions.

Reika did not like this. Despite all his explanations and apologies, the brunette _hated_ the casual way in which he had disregarded her own opinions.

For now, she might easily forgive him such a transgression due to the fact that she was physically only thirteen years old and Kaname had no idea about her real age. But that would change in the future. Someday, accepting such a treatment would not be as easily done as it had once been.

 _Someday, she might be forced to fight him to be free._

(...she feared that day more than anything else...

...

...feared it more than she had actually ever feared Kaname himself because...

...

...

... _because she could not bear losing him..._ )

As such, she may have forgiven his actions, but she would never forget them. She would never again allow herself to forget how dangerous this ancient being was and what harm he could actually inflict upon her and those she loved the most.

(...she ignored that he was one of those very people...

 _..._

...ignored how slowly but steadily she was _falling_...)

* * *

''Kaname-sama has summoned you into his office, Reika-sama. He wishes to introduce you to an old friend of his,'' said one of their newer maids while she bowed lowly before her. It was always easy to recognize those who were new in their household by their behavior. Just like this young girl, they tended to be overly respectful, almost bordering on religiously reverent.

''Thank you. Please tell my cousin that I'll be there soon. I just have to change into something more fitting first,'' she told her and pointed almost sheepishly at her baggy yoga pants and tank-top.

About an hour earlier, bored out of her mind, Reika had reluctantly agreed to Letizia's proposition of practicing some yoga with her. The other girl had immediately fetched two mats out of her room and rolled them out on the floor of the pureblood's chamber. Then they begun going through different postures, Reika always imitating the way the Italian manipulated her own body.

Although she tried to enjoy the experience, the girl was quickly forced to realize that even after a lifetime had passed, yoga still wasn't her thing. As Cienna she had had a horrific experience in gym class and it just seemed to have stuck with her even after all these years.

Unfortunately, Letizia seemed to be enjoying herself immensely and the pureblood could not bring herself to squash that joy.

Thus, she continued the exercise silently, breathing in and out just as she had been instructed to.

The arrival of the new maid was a saving grace she would not miss up on.

''You can finish your exercise here, Letizia,'' expressed Reika as she raised herself from the ground and begun walking in the direction of her closet. ''This meeting will probably take a while.''

Letizia looked up at her, resolving her rather uncomfortable looking pose. ''Thank you, _Signora_ Reika. I'll clean up afterwards.''

Inclining her head in agreement, the brunette changed quickly into something more fitting for polite company. It was just a simple white dress that made her look both a little younger and more girlish than normally and caused most people to underestimate her more than they already did. As she had no idea _who_ this old friend of Kaname's was, it was better to be cautious than not.

The walk towards the older Kuran's office was a short one. Once she arrived at her destination, the girl knocked twice on the dark mahogany door and waited until she heard Kaname call her inside.

Entering the room, Reika immediately spotted their so called guest. With his unique ash-blonde hair and deep hazel colored eyes, the man presented a distinctive picture. Dark clothes covered most of his body, a weapon most probably hidden somewhere underneath them.

 _Kaien Cross, the Headmaster of Cross Academy and one of the strongest vampire hunters in the world._

Taking in a calming breath, Reika allowed her gaze to slide towards her cousin. ''You called for me, Kaname-onii-sama.''

''Indeed.'' His aura brushed softly against hers in reassurance. ''I wanted you to meet a friend of mine. This is Kaien Cross, the current Headmaster of Cross Academy and in some ways my business partner.''

Hesitantly, the female Kuran allowed her attention to return to this familiar stranger. ''It's a pleasure to meet you, Cross-san. I'm Kuran Reika.''

''The pleasure is all mine,'' returned the hunter, his eyes sizing her up carefully. ''I've heard a lot about you.''

Reika smiled innocently. ''Only good things, I hope.''

''Hmm.'' _'A none answer, how quaint'_ , the girl thought sarcastically as she listened to the man changing the topic seamlessly. ''We've been just discussing the upcoming addition of the Night Class to the academy. Will you be in attendance as well?''

Crossing the room to take a seat upon one of the chairs in front of Kaname's huge desk, Reika hummed thoughtfully. ''I haven't yet discussed this properly with Onii-sama, but I'd like to believe that I'll be going wherever my brother and cousin are.''

''That's good to know.'' Something in his gaze seemed to soften at the genuine tilt of the brunette's smile. For moment the girl could not help wondering whether she reminded him of his adopted daughter. ''Having two purebloods there might have a stabilizing effect on the other students.''

''Of course,'' answered Reika neutrally. It wasn't hard to see how little she actually meant those words.

He tilted his head to the side. ''You do not share my opinion.''

''I did not say that.'' She regarded the man intently for a short moment. ''Having two people there who can fully control all the vampires present will certainly be advantageous.''

With slightly widened eyes, the man immediately denied her words. ''No, that's not what I meant. I don't want you to use your powers of compulsion on the other students. Your presence will hopefully be enough to reign the more rambunctious fellows in. They all look up to you, you know.''

''And you think that that will be enough to stop them from doing anything...ah _drastic_?'' questioned the girl slightly incredulously.

''Perhaps it will. That's something only time will tell,'' was the answer he gave her.

For a second, Reika allowed herself to marvel at how much their personal opinions differed. While this wasn't the first time she heard such words, it was the first time she heard them coming from someone who fully believed in this fantasy of peace between humans and vampires. Kaname might have claimed all he wanted, but the female Kuran knew that deep down her ancestor did not care about any of this. Kaien, on the other hand, supported this wishful idea with his entire being.

It was incomprehensible for the girl. The man wasn't naive, that she knew. And yet his very ideals made him seem completely foolish in her opinion.

Reika's lips quirked upwards. ''It's a fortunate thing then that I've got all the time in the world.''

* * *

As Cienna Donati she had lived a fairly quiet and inconsequential life. She had been a daughter, a sister and a friend. A young student and girl who had no idea what she would actually do with her own life.

Some things changed, while others always stayed the same.

In a shallow way, Reika was still very much like Cienna Donati had been. She was all the things mentioned above, and yet at the same time so much _more._

Or perhaps that was wrong. Perhaps she wasn't more but _less._

Less of a good person. Less of a daughter. Less, less, less.

There was no person, unfortunately, whom she could ask which of the two statements was the right one. No one in the entire world or even the web of countless universes knew her for whom she truly was; Reika _and_ Cienna _._

They were two sides of the same coin. Always apart and yet still the same.

Amused, Reika realized how unusually philosophical her musing were slowly sounding. Though, she guessed that it was to be expected on this very day.

After all, fifteen years ago, on this exact day, Cienna Donati had _died._

Sighing, she looked up at the bright blue sky. Considering the circumstances, it was an unfairly beautiful day. The sun shone above her without being obscured even by just a single cloud. Birds chirped happily up in the trees and a temperate breeze caressed Reika's cheeks softly.

It almost felt as if the world was trying to mock her. To mock her grieve and the pain she still felt due to the loss of her old life.

Light footsteps echoed through the mansion and directed the girl's attention towards the door. Reika felt her cousin even before he came into view, his ancient force brushing against her own questioningly. Seeing him awake at this time of the day was surprising. Vampires were mostly nocturnal creatures and even the female Kuran had adjusted to that routine.

''Shouldn't you be sleeping?'' She inquired after he joined her on the edge of the veranda, his leg brushing gently against her own. He seemed to contemplate his answer for a second before he turned his all-seeing gaze on her and rebutted, ''I can ask you the same thing.''

A short silence followed during which the girl considered if she should just ask him to leave. She was not in the mood for lengthy emotional talks. For a while, Reika thought that Kaname understood that, but she was proven wrong when he decided to speak up again.

''You're sad,'' he stated calmly, his aura a reassuring presence all around her.

Smiling wryly, Reika decided to answer honestly. After all, there was no need for her to lie to him of all people. ''I am.''

He stared at her quietly for a long moment, as if surprised by her easy admission. ''I guess you probably don't want to talk about it, do you?''

''No.'' Her breath hitched and she turned her face away from him. The names of all the people she had lost flashed across her mind and Reika had to actually forcefully reign her tears in. ''No, I really don't.''

They stayed seated like that for a few more minutes - two pureblood vampires basking in the morning sun - while the memories of Cienna's life slowly overwhelmed the girl. It had been a long time since she had last allowed herself to grieve all that she had lost, not daring to show any weakness while surrounded by so many predators.

 _Kuran Reika could not even remember the last time she had allowed herself to cry._

Suddenly, she felt very tired.

 _Fuck it_ , she thought before turning to face Kaname once again, displaying her glassy eyes and the pain within them openly. Despite everything they had been through together, Reika was still surprised to find no judgement within the ancestor's orbs. There wasn't any pity either, which the girl was immensely happy as well.

She did not want anyone to feel pity for her due to something they could never even begin to understand.

More than a little hesitantly, Reika grabbed a hold of the few remaining threads of her resolve and then proceeded to lean in her cousin's direction until her head touched his shoulder. The position wasn't quite comfortable because of the way they were seated, but it got better when Kaname angled his upper-body towards her. Automatically, Reika raised her hands and clenched them in the back of the other vampire's shirt.

They had not touched each other like this since the time the Level E vampire had almost killed her.

A shudder wracked her whole body as the first tear slid down her cheek. ''Can we just stay like this for a moment?''

''Of course.'' His answer was accompanied by the weight of his arms weaving themselves around her trembling form. It was a small albeit much appreciated comfort.

Reika's lips quivered. ''Good.''

* * *

Walking down a narrow hallway, surrounded by dozens of gossiping humans, Reika had never felt so lost before. Contrary to popular belief, it was not their smell and her uncontrollable thirst for their blood that made her feel so out of place. After having tasted the blood of aristocrats and even a pureblood, human blood did not hold much of an appeal. The truth was that the purer the blood was, the better it tasted. Thus, while human blood tasted much better than the tablets they would be forced to feed on in the academy, it just could not compare to the life liquid of even the lowest ranked vampire.

What bothered the girl about her current situation was how obviously she did not _belong_ here. She wasn't one of them anymore and she had no business to be there.

That was only highlighted by the apparent admiration they seemed to feel towards the girl. Just the sight of her was enough for them to start gossiping about who she was and where she had come from. There was something very starstruck in the way they talked about her behind her back, not even realizing that her superior hearing allowed her to hear every single word.

They did not realize that her beauty and tempting aura were just a biological calling that was meant to lure her prey in and thus make the hunt easier. Instead, they just cluelessly responded to it.

Reika did not even have it in herself to feel sorry for them.

She just wanted to find her brother and get the hell away from all their eyes. It was one thing to be admired by other vampires - they knew exactly w _hat_ she was - and something entirely else to be practically slobbered on by unknowing humans.

A part of her regretted coming here. Nowadays, there weren't many things Reika found to be much more disconcerting then being surrounded by too many humans in confined spaces. She did not like being among them because it often reminded her of whom she had once been and everything she had lost.

''I'm sorry, miss, but could I help you somehow?'' Asked one of the braver employees of the modelling company her brother had chosen to be a part of.

''Actually, yes,'' Reika said and then cleared her throat. ''I've come to pick up my brother. He was supposed to take part in a shooting here today and asked me to pick him up at six. He's already half an hour late and I was slowly getting worried just waiting for him in the car.''

The woman, Ito Akane as the name tag on her blazer proclaimed her to be, stared at her for a considerable time, eyes slightly glazed. ''Your brother? And whom might that be?''

''Shiki Senri,'' answered the pureblood, biting back a frustrated sigh. ''Do you know where he is?''

Clearly shocked, Akane looked her over once again. ''You're Senri-kun's sister?'' Her voice quietened into a whisper Reika would not have been capable of understanding if she had still been human. ''Good genes truly do lie in that family, huh?''

''I am-'' Could the woman just please hurry up and help her before Reika completely lost it? ''As I've already said. So, do you know where my brother is?''

''Ah, sorry.'' Akane rubbed her head sheepishly and angled her body to the side. ''Come, I'll show you the way.''

Fortunately, the human employee did not dally anymore than she already had. She just turned around and started walking down the hallway. ''Anyway, what's your name, little miss?''

Little miss? Reika blinked slowly and shook her head at how silly that sounded. ''Kuran Reika.''

''Kuran? You're half-siblings then,'' chattered the smartly-dressed female.

The pureblood's eyes narrowed. ''What's it to you?''

''Nothing, nothing.'' Akane waved her hand in a dismissing manner. ''Did you know that your brother is one of our rising stars? It's been a long time since our company has come across a gem like him.''

''He never told me,'' Reika said grudgingly, not liking the fact that her brother had been hiding from her how successful he actually was.

They arrived at a white door and it was pushed open without an ounce of hesitation by the human in front of her. ''That's a shame. You know, he could get really far in this business if he wanted to. Senri-kun's a true natural.''

Whatever the brunette might have come up with as an answer would have quickly gotten lost due to the loud shouts that echoed through the big room they had entered. In the center of it stood a group of six adults and two young teens, one of them her brother. A man was voicing his displeasure loudly while the woman opposite of him constantly interrupted him with rather petty insults.

''What the,'' begun the female Kuran, immediately catching her brother's attention. His grey eyes brightened at the sight of her. ''Onee-sama,'' he fucking _chirped,_ which really signified how grateful he was for her sudden appearance and interruption.

Without wasting any time, Reika walked across the room and stopped right at her brother's side. There, she first checked on him, noting the white ensemble he was wearing and the actual _glitter_ on his hair and face, and then took stock of the whole situation she had come across. ''What the hell is going on here?'' She finally asked her brother's personal manager.

''It's nothing, Reika-chan.'' The pureblood very pointedly did not twitch at the use of this honorific. ''There's just been a small problem with Senri-kun's partner for this shooting.''

''A problem that has kept my brother here even though he was supposed to be home by now? You do realize that we've been waiting for him for more than half an hour by now, don't you, Nana?'' Questioned Reika, the tone of her voice clearly showing what she thought about the current happenings.

The manager flinched as she felt some of Reika's powers coming alive around them, though she was saved from answering by whom the pureblood guessed to be the photographer. ''Are you Senri's sister?'' He regarded her thoughtfully, an idea clearly forming in his head. ''You know, this just might be the solution I've looking for for the last two hours.''

''Sollution? The fuck are you talking about?'' Shrieked the woman opposite of him, forgoing her insults just for second.

''What do you think I'm talking about?'' The look he bestowed upon the middle-aged brunette showed how stupid he thought her to be. ''It's become increasingly clear that we won't come to an agreement, thus I need someone to replace your daughter in this shooting. Reika-chan would be perfect for this job if she chose to agree.''

''You're...'' Disbelieve colored her face. ''You're just going to replace my daughter like that.''

''Your daughter is a no-name and you want us to pay her more than Senri here, who has by now become a rising star in this branch,'' said the photographer neutrally. ''So, yes, I'm going to replace your daughter just like that.''

''You can't just...'' She was immediately interrupted by the man. ''I can and I will. You've violated the terms of our contract by behaving completely unprofessionally and refusing to cooperate, thus I'm within my rights to fire Maiko-chan without further ado. And that's exactly what's happening right now.''

The woman spluttered angrily, ''You can't just...''

''I can and I already have. Please pack your things and leave,'' uttered photographer, running a hand through his short messy tresses. Then he turned towards Reika and regarded her openly. ''So, what do you think about having a job?''

How did she always get herself into such situations?

''I'm a minor, you realize that, don't you?'' She asked instead of voicing her disbelieve out loud.

''Of course.'' The man seemed bemused. ''We would first have to talk with your guardian, but afterwards you could take over Maiko-chan's part in this shooting. Depending on how the shooting goes, you could receive a permanent position in the agency.''

''I'm not sure about this permanent position,'' Reika murmured, scratching her head. ''But I guess that I could jump in this once, though not today. It's late already and you've kept my brother here long enough as it is.''

His eyes brightened immediately. ''Sure. I'll have my assistant email you the necessary documents and call your uncle tomorrow.'' He paused momentarily. ''He's your guardian as well, isn't he?''

''Yeah, Shiki Takehiko is my guardian, though he isn't really my uncle,'' explained Reika calmly and took a hold of the hand the man had practically pushed in front of her face.

''Good, good,'' exclaimed the man excitedly. ''You may go then. Oh, by way, my name is Saito Choei.''

(...A week later, both Senri and Reika featured on the cover of one of the most popular teen magazines in Japan...

...

...ironically, both of them were dressed fully in white, the color representing an innocence they had lost a long time ago...)


	14. Chapter 14

**Merry Christmas!**

 **I wish you all a wonderful day and I hope this chapter counts as a nice present.**

 **Chapter 15 isn't finished yet and it might take me some time to do so. I'll try updating it in January, but I make no promises.**

 **To those who read my other** **stories, I've finished writing the next chapter of 'Nobody Sees Me Wishing' and only need to edit it now. It might be updated by the end of the week.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Have fun.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 14_

 _When We're Together_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Where Christmas Truly Is A Magical Time_

* * *

 _"There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment."_  
 _― Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever_

 _"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,_  
 _in secret, between the shadow and the soul."_  
 _― Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets_

* * *

Senri would do _anything_ for his sister.

No hesitation or regrets would accompany anything she asked of him, no matter how much against it he might be due to personal reasons. His loyalty belonged to Reika first and foremost and contrary to popular belief, he knew exactly what this meant.

Their world was split in two different camps which were then parted in further parties. Choosing Reika meant that he stood against _everyone else._ Considering that his sister was probably one of the weakest players in this political game, most people probably scorned his choice.

While physically powerful, his sister did not have much of a political might. They both knew that. Knew that they were fighting in a war for adults while they themselves were still very much children.

And yet, Senri could not bring himself to consider his decisions. He preferred fighting at someone's side who would never even think about throwing him to the wolves, rather than putting his money on a leader that would see him as nothing but a minion to be sacrificed.

The young boy might have been a natural follower, but that did not mean that he was stupid.

He knew exactly how much the bastard son of Kuran Rido was worth to the Vampire Council. How little help his uncle would offer him if he had to endanger himself to do so.

Directly related to a pureblood or not, Senri was just one of countless replaceable foot soldiers in this upcoming war.

Not to his sister, though. The Shiki heir knew that there wasn't anything in the world that Reika wouldn't do to keep him safe.

It would have been funny if it weren't so tragic. Senri was aware of the reason why the two of them were so obsessively fixated on each other. Their lonely childhood and the threat of their father had unified them into what they were nowadays. For a long time, they hadn't had anyone but each other to rely on and this made them stick together even years later.

If they survived their father due to their sibling's silent support, they could survive anything at each other's side.

Still, Senri appreciated that his early presumptions of it being them against the whole world had been proven wrong as the years passed.

At first the teen had seen their cousin as just another enemy that had come to harm them. This view was mostly influenced by his sister's own opinions about the other pureblood and the fear the older Kuran so clearly inspired in the girl.

Over the years, as they all got closer, he was forced to rethink his first assessment.

Kuran Kaname was _terrifyingly_ powerful. Most people did not notice this, but most people had not spend as much time in the pureblood's presence as Senri had. The boy had felt the his cousin's aura surrounding his sister and him protectively. Felt its vastness and how easily it could _crush_ them all.

As an enemy, Kaname was an utter _monster,_ while at the same time being the best ally one could ask for.

Although it might have seemed unprobable at the beginning, the elder Kuran had not only become their ally throughout the years but also much _more._ He had expanded their family and turned into the best older brother and protector Senri could have asked for.

To Reika, though, Senri easily recognized, their cousin meant much much _more._

His older sister might not have noticed it yet, but Senri wasn't blind. He knew exactly what his sister's love looked like and he saw it each time she directed gaze upon their cousin.

Despite everything, it was an impossible relief to see this love blooming between two of the most important people in his life. The boy could not say whether it was already at its final stage or not, but that wasn't important.

After all, due to this development, Senri would never have to fear that his sister would one day end up being _alone._ With someone just as eternal and everlasting as she was at her side, Reika would never have to relive the biggest horror of their childhood.

And that, well, that was something Senri had previously not even dared to hope for.

* * *

Reika had no idea how they ended up on the floor of their living room with a board game between the four of them. Monopoly was something she hadn't played in more than a decade, though she did vaguely remember not ever being so _bad_ at it.

Admittedly, she had never before played against one of the oldest vampires on earth and a fiery Italian who did not seem to know the meaning of _mercy._

Kaname and Letizia were two right _terrors._

Slowly but steadily, they were taking over the whole board, buying most of the properties and collecting all of Senri's and Reika's money. What was most amusing about the whole thing was how differently the two of them went about it.

Letizia had turned into a spitfire, shouting her happiness out loudly and not hiding her giddiness the least bit. In contrary to that, Kaname sat silently next to her, his best poker face in place.

''Yes!'' Letizia shouted cheerily as the dice stopped rolling at the six and then proceeded to laugh in satisfaction. She had once again missed stepping on one of the older Kuran's properties which meant that she would not have to pay him any money. Not that it would have actually done her any harm. The aristocrat's stack of funds was considerably larger than Reika's own.

Next to her, Senri grumbled quietly. He was the losing party in this game.

The girl might have pitied him if she were not so amused by the whole situation.

''Here, Senri-sama,'' chirped Letizia as she handed him the dice. ''It's your turn.''

Mischief wasn't something Reika normally partook in, but there was always time for a change. As Senri drew back his hand to roll the dice, the girl quickly counted what number he needed to not further Letizia's and Kaname's winning chances any more than he already had. Then her gaze instantly focused on the white cube that was by now moving across the floor. With just a twitch of her finger she made sure that her brother stayed in the game for another round.

Out of the corner of her right eye she saw Kaname's mouth twitch in response to her action. He did not call her out on it.

Taking the dice from her brother's hand, Reika smiled innocently. Afterwards she repeated her previous act by counting the exact number of fields she would have to move across to reach the best result and then letting go of the dice.

Her finger twitched once again discretely. Entirely certain of her upcoming victory, the girl could already feel a grin forming on her lips.

And yet instead of stopping when it was supposed to, the dice continued rolling.

Almost teasingly, her cousin's aura brushed against her own and the girl's attention immediately snapped towards him. Did he really just _sabotage_ her?

(...Reika ignored how she had previously done the same to him and Letizia...)

Her grin sharpened around the edges and she thought almost viciously: _Game on!_

And, well, that was about when the real game truly ended and transformed into the purebloods trying to one up each other. The other players quickly caught on to the change and, as proper vampires ought to, joined the cheating. Despite their handicap when it came to telekinesis, both Senri and Letizia came up with interesting ways to not fall behind due this new development.

For example Senri started stealing everyone's money right from underneath their noses each time they allowed their focus to drift. By the time anyone noticed, he already had a considerable stack of fake banknotes in front of himself.

She should probably not have felt as proud due to this as she did.

* * *

Christmas was always a big affair, especially when Takehiko decided to host it at their home.

At fifteen, Reika was quite proficient in getting through the whole proceedings without a hitch. Most often she played the role of the eye candy hanging at Kaname's arm. The girl rarely engaged in any meaningful conversations, always cautious to not show too much of herself to the world.

Smiling politely, engaging in civil conversations and ignoring the rare thinly veiled insults some of the higher politicians uttered to her, that was all she had to do during such occasions.

It was both utterly amusing and unimaginably irritating.

On the one hand, it was very clear how little the Council thought of her. How much they actually _underestimated_ her. Reika was smart enough to see what an advantage this might give her some day. When the right time came, they would not know what had hit them.

On the other hand, she had to play nice with people who would like nothing more than to eat her alive. They either thought her too stupid to notice or they just did not care, but the girl knew of the hidden meaning of their words. That they thought otherwise was just insulting.

Over the years, Reika learned to enjoy these evenings in her own way. She did not have much of choice in this. It was either finding some decorum of amusement in these political soirees or constantly running around with a foul mood and probably going mad in a short few years.

Besides, time went by faster if she enjoyed herself. And sometimes, if she was lucky enough, as was the case this Christmas, it turned out that the event would end earlier than she had anticipated, which always managed to lighten her mood immensely.

After saying goodbye to all of their guests, Reika was finally allowed to take off her uncomfortable high-heels. Looking out of the window, she spied the still dark sky and the sparse stars that lightened it up. Normally, her small family would have been force to spend a few more hours at someone else's soiree.

Once Takehiko dismissed them for the night and the servants started cleaning up the mess left behind, Reika was almost as dead on her feet as her brother. They must have presented quite a sight; the normally so composed two vampires stumbling blearily across the marble floor of their home.

Senri went upstairs without any further ado, his by now taller form quickly disappearing out of sight. Reika herself had previously planned to go immediately sleeping after surviving this evening, but something prompted her to change her course of action. A part of her just missed spending Christmas in a pleasant manner, surrounded by family instead of a pack of wolves.

As Cienna she had used to spend the whole evening in a room that was most often too small to fit all of their relations comfortably inside of it. They all reclined at a table full of all kinds of foods, talking and laughing together. Most often the TV was turned on on a low volume, Christmas carols ringing softly from it. After having a few drinks, one of her uncles always joined the singers on the television, his voice echoing loudly throughout the whole room.

Their guests often stayed until late at night. At some point, the adults always sent the younger ones into another room in order to watch a movie. Reika could not even count how often she had seen _Home Alone._

In some ways, the girl wanted to have all of that again, which was most likely the reason why she decided to follow Kaname into his office instead of going to sleep.

Although her action seemed to surprise him, he did nothing but glance at her in askance for a second or two. Then he held the door of the room open for her at let the girl walk inside before him.

Silently, Reika searched the room for something of interest until her eyes beheld the large bookshelf occupying the whole wall. Walking up to it, the brunette started to search the collection of books for something fitting. _A Christmas Carol_ by _Charles Dickens_ caught her attention within a short while.

''Will you read to me?'' She asked Kaname, who had by now settled down behind his desk. His gaze immediately flitted upwards to look at her, abandoning the documents he was previously perusing. ''There won't ever be a better day to enjoy _A Christmas Carol.''_

A thoughtful expression appeared on his face as he started putting the papers on his desk into a tidy pile. ''Well, I couldn't ever say no to such a convincing argument, huh?''

Reika's smile was full of joy. ''Of course not.''

They settled down on the small couch in the corner of the room. Reika, tired after such a long night, laid down on the soft cushions, her head resting gently on Kaname's lap.

''Stave 1. Marley's Ghost,'' Kaname read once they were both comfortable, his voice deep and soothing as he continued, ''Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner.''

He was a good reader, capable of catching her attention easily and keeping it as well. He told the tale in compelling tones that spread a content feeling throughout Reika's entire being. Despite all the things that he would do in the future, the female Kuran had never felt as safe as she did at this very moment.

It was mad, this warmth that so easily seemed to flood her chest when she was within his vicinity. A feeling so light and yet at same time so very _stifling._

Her eyes settled on Kaname's face, on the way his lips formed each word so softly as his gaze roved across the pages. For once no mask seemed to hide him from her view and startled the girl realized that he trusted her enough to not be on guard in her presence.

When had this happened? When had they started to feel so comfortable around each other?

The story continued steadily as realization after realization danced across Reika's mind. She felt as if, for the first time in years, she was seeing the world clearly.

Unbidden, a thought that she had hidden deeply within the recess of the mind came to her; _She loved him._

Reika loved this man who read poetry late into the night and who secretly harbored an impressive competitive streak that did not allow him to lose in even the simplest of games. This man who would never admit his ardent dislike of sour foods and whose life in some ways was so very similar to her own.

She loved him and the way he so naturally took care not only of her but her brother as well. The way he spoke about the world with a melancholy that so often managed to steal her breath.

She even loved the way he could so proficiently hide his feelings from others, because no matter how much he tried, he never quite managed to fool her. Somehow, in some way, his aura always managed to betray the truth.

But most of all, the girl guessed, she loved this man who, no matter what fate had thrown his way, _did not ever give up._ This man who continued _living_ and made her feel as if she was not _alone._

Reika was _in love_ with Kuran Kaname and this thought did not frighten her even half as much as it should have.


	15. Chapter 15

**Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _To Rule The World_

 _Chapter 15_

 _Hit Or Miss_

 _._

 _._

 _._

* * *

 _"Be the flame, not the moth."_  
 _― Giacomo Casanova_

* * *

Knowledge was a very dangerous thing. Reika was forced to realize that throughout the days following her sudden epiphany.

She had always been careful around her cousin, more than a little aware of his power and the harm she could inflict upon herself by making the wrong move around him. All this and much more still haunted her when the girl was in Kaname's vicinity, making the time they spent together more than a little nerve-wracking.

And yet, none of this actually managed to stop her from seeking him out.

As a pureblood Reika never had many chances at finding happiness. Despite all the vampires that envied the Kurans for their status, there wasn't actually all that much to envy. After all, not even all the money in the world could ever free them from the nightmare that their eternal existence truly was.

The prospect of an _eternity_ was a very daunting thing.

(...Reika could not even begin to imagine living for more than a century, let alone _forever...)_

The thought of not having to spent all this time alone was as tempting as it seemed to be foolish. Kaname might have cared about her in his own way, but that did not immediately translate into _love._

Besides, the female Kuran knew that her cousin's heart already belonged to another. While she might have never met _Yuki,_ the other girl was still very much in the picture. Kaname visited his supposed little sister as often as his rather busy life allowed him, his devotion towards her clear.

Even Reika's awareness of this did not manage to fully stop her from _hoping._

To a vampire, there was nothing quite as important as _love_ and having found it while still as young as she herself was wasn't a certainty.

 _Kuran Reika did not want to give up on what might be her one chance at happiness._

Thus, she continued spending time with her cousin, playing chess in his office or relaxing together in the gardens.

And if her new found realization meant that she was more tactile during their meetings, then well, no one was complaining.

* * *

Reika did not mind shopping.

Neither did she mind doing it with company.

What did, however, bother her was being forced to spend a whole day with Ruka and two rather shallow friends of hers. The three of them prattled too much and worshiped the pureblood to an uncomfortable extent.

They kept their conversations _proper_ and made sure not to criticize her no matter what. It was infuriating because Reika could not even ask them about their honest opinion when it came to choosing her own clothes.

Even if she looked bad in something, the two girls would still tell her that she looked _fantastic._

Such a behavior was just tiring and redundant.

What did they think she would do to them if they told her their honest opinion? Smite them into oblivion?

Admittedly, she had found their actions funny at first. It amused her to see their pinched expressions when the two teens did not like something she wore but were too reluctant to say so. For an hour or two she even used their hesitation to entertain herself, however, the whole thing got old very quickly.

Right now, three hours into their shopping trip, she was just annoyed.

''We should go eat something,'' Reika decided, knowing that no refusal would leave the other girls' mouths. ''Do you know a good place nearby?''

''There is a nice Italian restaurant just two streets away,'' inferred Fuyumi. She was a distant cousin of Ruka's and the boldest one out of the girls.

The pureblood smiled a little tensely, wanting to just get this day over with. ''Great.''

And that was how she found herself sitting in a quaint little restaurant located within a small side street. Its decor was slightly tacky, but it still reminded her in many ways of the home she had lost.

The owner, a middle-aged Italian with a heavy accent, had greeted them at the entrance and then led them to one of the best tables within the establishment. For once it wasn't Reika's blood status that led to such a privileged treatment, but her final companion's occupation. Himawari was quite a famous model in Japan, who was slowly but steadily winning fame all over the country.

Their dinner ended up being surprisingly pleasant. While the girls still did not talk about anything substantial, the atmosphere surrounding them was affable enough to overrule that.

Besides, the dessert she ate made her so nostalgic that Reika could have probably even ignored the end of the world.

All in all, it wasn't a bad day.

* * *

''Ruka is quite excited about the upcoming school year,'' Reika said as she moved a pawn across the chessboard in a way that might or might not end up dooming her queen. Afterwards a smile tilted her lips upwards due to a momentary glimpse of discomfort appearing within Kaname's eyes.

They both knew why exactly Ruka was so exited about going to Cross Academy and it certainly wasn't the rigorous curriculum they would be offered.

The female Kuran smiled slyly, ignoring how her and Ruka were actually entirely the _same._ ''She's quite smitten with you.''

''She's smitten with my blood status.'' For a moment, Kaname looked at her as if she were a misbehaving child. ''You should know better than to try distracting me in such a juvenile way.''

Reika pouted and batted her eyelashes innocently. ''I have no idea what you mean.''

He regarded her dryly. ''You're losing. _Again.''_

''It's not my fault that you're such a horrendous teacher,'' she countered, sacrificing her queen all the while.

Kaname's left eye twitched ever so slightly, prompting Reika's smile to widen into a grin. She leaned back in her chair and met her cousin's gaze boldly, as if to say, 'this is all your fault'.

As composed as always, Kaname ignored the unsaid jibe and ended their weekly game of chess easily.

''You're mean,'' the girl stated mildly, her tone showing exactly how little she actually minded losing the game for what felt like the thousandth time.

Instead of answering her, the older vampire started putting the board and its pieces into their packaging. Slightly miffed at being ignored, Reika snatched her queen before Kaname could take a hold of it and rolled it between her thumb and pointer finger. It was a beautiful piece, made of both gold and silver and extremely detailed. She might not have known how much the whole set had actually cost, but she was positive that it was a small fortune.

Kaname had gotten it from some aristocrat for one of his birthdays and he had been unusually fond of it ever since then.

As a whole, Reika had to admit, she found the entire thing quite pretentious.

And yet, she knew better than to say that out loud. After all, not too long ago, the female pureblood had bought herself a necklace adorned with quite a few diamonds. It would have been quite hypocritical of her to blame Kaname for being pretentious when she herself wasn't any different.

''You're leaving in the morning for a meeting with the council, aren't you?'' she asked instead, putting the last chess piece into its proper place inside the game's intricate packaging.

Kaname inclined his head. ''Yes, they still want to discuss a few things about Cross Academy.''

''Ah,'' she muttered unhelpfully. ''I see.''

Would he be visiting his sister afterwards? How often had he even visited Yuki this year?

Reika shook her head forcefully. Such thoughts were neither proper nor beneficial.

Trying to distract herself, the girl looked around the room until her gaze landed on the clock on top of the desk. ''You don't have much time left before you've got to go. Maybe you should rest for a while.''

He looked down at his wristwatch. ''I might just do that.''

It was as much of a dismissal as she would get from him. Heeding it was quite easy as Reika's thoughts, having been turned towards Yuki, were souring her mood and making her yearn for a little solitude.

She stood up from her seat in one graceful move and after uttering a soft ''Goodnight.'' she turned around to leave the room. The carpet was soft beneath her feet as she walked across it, each of her steps feeling more heavy than the one before. It was when she finally reached the door, her hand already closing around the handle, that Reika just _stopped._

The girl did not like seeing herself running away from _this._ She did not like pretending that everything was alright and feeling jealous because of someone she hadn't even met yet.

In this new life, Reika had gotten used to getting almost _everything_ she wanted. Until now, this mostly applied to material things, such as a new book or some exotic tea she had recently heard about. This flaw of hers could most easily be explained away by her upbringing and the fact that people rarely actually denied her anything.

There was no reason for them to do such a thing, after all, money was not a problem as her inheritance rose with each passing day. Besides, no one actually wanted to get on her bad side because of something as stupid as a book or British chocolate fudge.

As such, it was understandable that Reika was used to seeing things go her way and there was nothing quite as frustrating as that not being the case.

Unfortunately for her, there wasn't anything she could actually do against her frustration in this quite precarious situation of hers.

Or at least she had forced herself into believing that.

But Reika did not want to be _that_ kind of girl. She did not want to pine after some guy for the rest of eternity because she was too afraid to do something. Too afraid to find out whether a future together was even a possibility.

The thought of living with such an uncertainty prompted Reika to turn around. She did not want the rest of her life to be filled with what-ifs and what could have been.

Walking back towards the desk, towards _Kaname_ , was easier than she had thought it would be. She stopped moving right next to his chair and waited patiently until he finished filling out the document he had taken out when she had uttered her goodbye.

When the ancestor finally did look upon her, his gaze was both assessing and inquiring.

In favor of explaining herself, Reika reached out with her hand, stroking his jaw hesitantly with her fingertips.

Something akin to understanding flashed within Kaname's cognac colored eyes, but he did not pull away. Taking this as a permission, the girl leaned down until their noses brushed and their breaths mixed together. In spite of all the years the two purebloods had spent in each other's presence, they had only ever been this close to each other once before when Reika had allowed herself to truly mourn her lost life for the first time.

Being in this position, Reika couldn't help wondering if it had been inevitable from the moment when they had first met all those years ago.

Falling in love with Kaname hadn't been easy, and yet it had become as integral to her as breathing.

Tilting her head slightly to the side as to avoid bumping noses with the other pureblood, Reika closed the gap between them with no small amount of hesitation. The kiss that followed was no more than a soft brushing of their lips. It sent tingles along her skin and made the fine hairs on her arms rise lightly.

And more than anything else, that one kiss made her gums ache and throat _burn_ with an unquenchable hunger.

She pulled back abruptly and opened her eyes, only to meet the already gleaming gaze of the ancestor, within it, a reflection of her own orbs, set aglow by a primal hunger.

Before she could even begin contemplating this development, a hand was buried firmly within her loose hair, pulling her back towards Kaname. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Reika registered the sound of the chair scrapping across the floor. By the time the sound disappeared, the girl had already maneuvered herself onto Kaname's lap.

Their lips met in a bruising kiss, again and again, and soon she could feel Kaname's tongue tracing one of her fangs. Fangs that were razor sharp and could and would cut it if he wasn't careful.

The game they were playing was a dangerous one. And it was this danger, this high probability of her _losing,_ that made the female Kuran move slightly backwards.

Her breath came out in soft pants as she once again allowed her gaze to meet Kaname's. One of his hands reached out to caress her cheek and all at once, as the fire disappeared from within his gaze, the Ancestor looked somewhat _softer._

This time, when their lips touched each other, the exchange was infinitely gentler.

It continued being that way until long after Kaname was supposed to leave.


End file.
